Faith

[Deb]

If Faith is a gift from God, is everyone given that gift? I seem to have just gotten it this year or was it always there and I just saw it now (at an advanced age?) Why would anyone turn it down?

[Jaime]

Is everyone given the gift? Yes. Our souls have an innate desire to be in Union with God. Its part of the makeup of the soul. The Church teaches that even if someone was living in a remote region and was never told about God and Jesus, they still receive the gift and can actually receive baptism by desire.

Was it always there and you just saw it or were you just given it? Well since God is always there, the gift of faith is always there as well. However we do have particular moments in our lives where we see it better than others. We all have a tendency to think "Wow this is great! Why didn't I get this before?" and while that's natural (even saints do that) , the more important question is "What am I going to do with it now?"

And why do some folks reject it? I'm sure there's lots of different reasons. I know some very intelligent, very caring people who will not accept that God exists and they each have their own reasons. But it boils down to this. The same reason that some reject it is the exact same reason why some accept it. Its boils down to trust. That's the gift of free will.

But we share in the responsibility for those who do not believe. Conversion is a fully transformative act in our lives. We now have to live what we believe to be an example to those who don't. Plus if we don't live out what we believe, we risk losing that faith.