Catholic Candle note: The article below was written by a man who has always been Traditional Catholic and who has been continually fighting liberalism since before Vatican II.

The answer to this riddle is: the gift of a Supernatural Faith.

The definition of a Supernatural Faith is:

The act of the intellect assenting to a Divine truth owing to the movement of the will, which is itself moved by the grace of God.^[1]

The Catholic Encyclopedia explains further:

And just as the light of Faith is a supernatural gift bestowed upon the understanding, so also this Divine grace moving the will is, as its name implies, an equally supernatural and absolutely gratuitous gift.  Neither gift is due to previous study; neither of them can be acquired by human efforts, but ….  “Ask and ye shall receive.”^[2] 

Most receive this gift from God through their parents, at Baptism, without effort or request.  It usually happens at a time when we give it little or no value.  Many people gain little appreciation for this gift over the years and many people discard it without any regret.  Those who keep and nurture this gift gain in virtue and understanding of what is at stake regarding earthly and eternal happiness.

The gift of Faith must be protected by an informed conscience, study, prayer, and courage to stand up against liberalism and modernism, and to stand up for Christ the King.

Two big helps to nurture your gift of Faith are humility and prayer.  Humility is the first virtue, inasmuch as it removes the obstacles to Faith.  Prayer inspires devotion and love for the Gift Giver.

The worst thing you can do with your precious gift of Faith is to put it in the hands of a liberal priest, or to be a follower of a liberal organization like the N-SSPX.  This foolish and misplaced trust does not relieve you of the responsibility for your own salvation.  I believe many follow a misguided path to salvation because they are lazy and/or cowardly; thus, they take the easy way out.  St. Paul in Romans states: “You have to work out your salvation in fear and trembling.”

Your actions demonstrate what value you place on your gift of Faith.  Below is a to-do list, with numbers for a grade.  This will help you determine what value you place on your gift of Faith.  100 points is your goal; less than that, there is work to do.

1. You set aside a regular time for a daily Holy Hour of prayer and spiritual reading.  20 points

2. You go out of your way to receive the traditional sacraments and attend Mass, when available.  10 points

3. You fearlessly stand up for Christ the King no matter the criticism or loss of friendship or family.  10 points

4. You set a good example at all times for others to follow.  10 points

5. The traditional Catholic Faith is your whole life, every day, from the morning’s first moment through the night’s last moment.  20 points

6. You never compromise with liberalism, no matter how slight.  10 Points

7. You join the real resistance of informed and uncompromising Catholics.  10 points

8. You leave or disassociate from any compromised group or priest without hesitation.  10 points

The above should confirm and defend your decision to leave the liberal N-SSPX, if you or others previously had any doubt about this.  The above points should also give you the courage to leave the liberal N-SSPX if you have failed to do so before now.

Let’s further take stock of the value you place on your gift of Faith, compared to your gift of Life from God.  The gift of Life has a built-in incentive to preserve it and nurture it.  Many spend much time and treasure to improve their health, no matter what the cost or distance.  But few people make equal efforts and have equal enthusiasm for the gift of Faith, that they have for this gift of Life.

Many protect and nurture their gift of Life to excess, which is a sin against temperance and a distraction from their effort to nurture and protect the gift of Faith.  We all have a duty to nourish and safeguard our health, but not to excess.  Everything in moderation except love for God.

So, let’s all dedicate ourselves to the eight steps listed above to nurture our gift of Divine Supernatural Faith.  You couldn’t make a better or more worthwhile decision.

 

---