Revisiting Our Faith This Good FridayBy Maximo Tumbali, Forum Contributor Never has our faith been tested this intensely since the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic. Human existence has, so to speak, become so vulnerable as this viral scourge continues to inflict suffering upon us most everywhere in the world. Owing to this, our Faith now appears to be in a downward spin.
As we frantically try to find ways and means to combat this deadly virus, not a few of us have begun to question the power of our Faith in the Almighty. Some are now even asking themselves if indeed there’s a Supreme Being who can help us vanquish such a vicious and unseen enemy.
IMAGE CREDIT: WEBMD.COM IMAGE CREDIT: GWCATHOLICS.ORG Tens of thousands of human lives have already been lost all over the world owing to this invisible foe, and despite our fervent prayers, many more of us are suffering and succumbing from its continuing onslaughts.
At this critical time when we don’t seem to see or feel any Divine Intervention to deliver us from our present terrifying predicament, it’s not surprising that most of us are getting tempted to think that believing in God just doesn’t seem to make sense anymore. It does appear that that we are left all by our lonesome in battling the pandemic, and we find that our collective human strength and medical knowledge are barely enough to stop the scourge.
So where is this suffering and tribulation leading us to?
This Good Friday, April 2, as we commemorate the death of Jesus our Savior, let’s reflect deeply on the status of our Faith in the context of our sufferings wrought by the pandemic. Let us ask ourselves these questions: How much stronger is our Faith in the Almighty? Have we given up or are about to give up on Jesus our Savior? Have we lost our Christian faith in general? Rather than put our total and unquestioning trust in the Almighty, are we now getting more and more inclined to depend solely on our own efforts to keep ourselves alive?
As we continue to struggle against the dreaded virus, these tough personal questions and many more are going to haunt and hound us. These questions will continue to weaken our unconditional trust in Jesus and in God the Almighty, leading us more and more to the verge of losing our trust in the Divine.
It is precisely at this weakest point in our Faith that the Devil will find it most opportune to ensnare us. We become the Devil’s easy and unwitting victims when we start seeing only one option and that is to abandon our Faith in the Devil’s favor.
Despite the severe trials and tribulations that are hounding us at this time, we need to muster the enormous strength needed to subdue the Devil. We need more than ever to remain faithful to Jesus and his Father.
Yes, each of us need follow how Jesus steadfastly ignored Satan’s tempting offers so He could avoid agony and death at his Crucifixion. It was the unswerving love of Jesus for His Father and His obedience to his will that dealt Satan his biggest, most humiliating defeat. Indeed, rising from the dead is the embodiment of the ultimate victory of Jesus for the benefit of all humankind.
And so, truth to be told, this is the source, essence, and vitality of our Christian Faith. It is owing to this Faith that, in both the best of times and in the worst of times like the present pandemic, we persist in our belief and trust in the Almighty to ensure our well-being and survival.
