In the Preciousness of Faith column in the Catholic Peace Weekly, a seminary professor reflects on the many who have left the community of faith.
Among the friends he made during his first communion, very few attend church. This broadens his perspective and leads him to ask those who do not believe. Why do they not believe? However, from their point of view, we who attend church must seem even stranger. They might wonder: why do you believe? In fact, whether we believe it or not, we are all walking the same path. We may be lost or paused for a short or long time, but in search for the meaning of life—what is it all about?
For some, questions will arise quickly, and for others, slowly. How should we live our lives to be valuable and meaningful? What must we do to achieve the fullness of our lives? Jesus's following words are profoundly significant for us who ask these questions: "For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them." (Matthew 13:12)
In light of experience, spiritual growth will regress if it is not continually pursued. Some of us may have paused our faith for a short or long time. At first, the lack of church attendance and religious practice may feel comfortable and freeing. We become engrossed in things we haven't done before, things that immediately attract us. But when worldly temptations crash down on us and we flounder, there comes a moment when we realize we have become impoverished.
Like the younger son in the parable of the lost son (Luke 15:11-32), in tatters of body and soul, we begin to ask ourselves: how did I end up like this? Then, memories of the joy and happiness experienced during times of faith surface. We resolve to start living our faith again.
In returning to the Father's house, we come to realize what it means to live as a child of God in a community united in prayer and song. Although we do not often feel it, through our routine spiritual practices, we receive spiritual and physical nourishment, maintain our health, and seek God's blessing.
