Opinion Articles

*Faith fills those empty spaces and enriches
By Loretto Lynch
Loretto Lynch is the Co-ordinator of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults for the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle.

In churches all over the world, when we celebrate Easter, hundreds of people will become Catholics. In parishes across our diocese, 34 people will become members of a Catholic faith community, 12 of them receiving adult Baptism.

Why do these people want to become part of a faith community in a world where many look for fewer commitments, more worldly possessions and a quick-fix, feel-good life style?

Faith is not only putting your trust and confidence in someone or something, it can also be a belief for which there is no proof, something you might expect to be a rare phenomenon in this age of science and technology.

And yet, is it so unusual to have faith?

As children we had no choice but to place our trust in parents and other adults because our very lives depended on them. As adults we need to have confidence in a spouse, partner, work colleague or friend because our quality of life is enhanced by our ability to live in peace.

Believing in something for which there is no proof is not so easy!

Again, as children, we believed what adults told us, but when we were older and began to question what we had been told, we could believe what we couldn't prove only if that belief made some sense to us, if we could see the advantage of continuing the belief.

The advantage of a life lived in faith is that we have a life open to change, ready to accept the unknown, happy to trust that, deep within, we have the values that will help us be peacemakers, people who can make a real difference in our communities.

Society often makes us feel different because we want to be spiritual, we want to take time out to pray, meditate or worship in a community of people who share the same beliefs. Sometimes we are given the impression that believing in something for which there is no proof is not really a popular way of life.

But, people of faith there are, and whatever religion or faith community welcomes them is enriched by their energy, commitment to service and sheer joy at being accepted by others sharing the same beliefs.

Whatever their belief, people of faith seem to have a spirituality that enhances their ability to do good for others. They are often reflective people who value time spent in quiet contemplation or prayer, people who are usually accepting and forgiving of others.

Living a faith-filled life not only gives meaning and value to how you live, it improves the quality of life of all those people lucky enough to be a part of your family and community.

  *This article was published in The Newcastle Herald, 10th April 2006.