A Jesuit Catholic University
in Omaha, Nebraska, since 1878

[497] Rev 1:1-4; 2:1-5 Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4+6 Luke 18:35-43

Weekly Guide for Daily Prayer The Daily Reflections

“‘What do you want me to do for you?’
He replied, ‘Lord, please let me see.’” -Luke 18:41

If Jesus were to enter your room right now and ask you, “What do you want me to do for you?” what would you say? I invite you to think about it. Would you ask for riches? Would you ask for fame? Would you ask for all your dreams to come true? Maybe you would ask for healing or for the answer to a troublesome dilemma. It’s an interesting thing to consider.

Of everything you could ask for, though, there is one thing that is greater than the rest: faith. Faith is a unique gift, given to us by God. It allows us to believe the things we cannot see, feel, touch, taste, or hear. It gives meaning to our everyday activities, and it is the door through which we must walk in order to discover what it means to live with Christ. For a little over a month now, we have been celebrating The Year of Faith, as was called for by the Pope; but why is faith so important for us? What good does it do for us?

As a student, I love to learn. I am a Biochemistry major, and I am considering getting a double major in Philosophy as well because I love learning. Yet even with the vast knowledge known by humans, there are still many more mysteries than there are facts. If we take time to consider the mysteries of the universe and mysteries of life, they are mind boggling. Consider for a moment, why is there anything in the universe as opposed to their being nothing? What is the meaning of life? How small are we when compared with the vast reaches of the universe?

The answer to each of these questions is found only in faith. Science can answer the “what” and the “how” of the universe, but it can never answer questions of meaning. Science can never answer questions of “why”. Instead, the answers are rooted in our beliefs, and just what do we believe as Catholics and Christians? We believe in one God, who is our Father. We believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life who is eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son. Do we understand it? No, we don’t. Can we ever understand it? No. All of the theology in the world cannot do away with the mystery of God. That is why we need faith. We do not have faith because we understand. Rather, we believe so that we might come to understand better. We will never be able to explain how Jesus Christ comes to us under the form of bread and wine in the Eucharist. All we know is that He does, and in doing so, He invites us to a deeper relationship, to a renewed faith in Him. The choice to respond is ours.

“I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will enter his house and dine with him and he with me” –Jesus Christ