Each of us has a sort of signature way we follow up a statement with a question when we are not sure about what we just heard. It might be “Pardon me?” or “What was that?” or “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that.” Whatever form it takes, our question or statement indicates that we have missed something, or that we need to hear more in order to make sense of it.
When it comes to faith and religious practice, it is quite possible to turn this function off, if not actively then to do so by asking questions less and less frequently, until eventually we find ourselves in a posture of believing there are no more questions to ask. The content of our faith and the signs, symbols, and words of our religious practice seem self-evident, and as good as they need to be in the form that they have now... and likely will have in time to come.
I would suggest that there is a remarkable difference between knowing about faith and religious practice and truly knowing the Mystery that is at the heart of and the Partner in Dialogue that is our faith...that gives shape, breadth, depth, and ultimately the very meaning to faith and our religious practice that grows from faith and, in turn, nurtures our faith.
It’s not that our faith or religious practice isn’t good enough, but, let’s face it, is the love at the heart of our most significant relationships ever absolutely good enough? Is the effort within the most important undertakings in our lives ever finally good enough to set aside the hunger, the fascination, the fulfillment that brought us to it in the first place?
Of the Mystery of God we have been given more to know than we deserve. Of the Mystery of God there is an infinite source of beauty, power, richness, healing, and grace to live and work in communion with God.
Fr. Tom