How Strong Is Your Faith...Really?

You've heard of the woman, desperate for a cure, who knew that just touching the cloak of Jesus would heal her from years of medical abuse, ignorance, and pain. In that one instance she was cured, was it her actually touching Jesus' cloak? Was it Jesus, or was it her faith?

"Your faith has made you well..."

Another example of this is when Jesus said to the blind man in Mark 10:52, "Go your way, your faith has made you well." This man heard of Jesus' and began crying out to Him, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" His faith was strong enough to believe that Jesus could heal him and give him his sight.

"Go your way, your faith has made you well."

Where is that kind of faith today? Do you have it? There is so much sickness, sadness, and evil around us every day. I know that it has been hard on us lately in the Pillar household with our youngest stretching her newly-turned-18-year-old wings in ways that has both her parents, brother and sister in shock and awe. I have never prayed as much and as desperately as I have during these past 4 months. From the pulpit, from the Bible, from Jesus Himself, we are told that we are not alone, that He will never leave us...but why do we feel so helpless and abandoned sometimes?

Shroud of Turin via Wikimedia Commons (PD).

Pope Francis, on April 19, 2015 during the Regina Coeli: On Being Witnesses to the Risen Christ, said this:

"Today begins in Turin that solemn exposition of the Holy Shroud. I too, God-willing, will go to venerate it on June 21st. I hope that this act of veneration helps us all to find in Jesus Christ the Merciful Face of God, and to recognize it in the face of our brothers and sisters, particularly those suffering most."

Not only Christ, but others around us can lend support and encouragement when we are at our deepest low trying times. Like the two examples above, there's always someone with a stronger faith that can help strengthen the faith of those around them. They found the proof in their lives they needed to have such faith. but it doesn't just happen, one has to want it and search for it. It is up to us to seek and recognize the face of God...the Merciful Face of God, and we can find Him in our brothers and sisters, in our crazy upturned lives, God is there and everywhere for us!