Quietly Passionate About Our Faith
Posted on: August 31, 2015
- In: Everyday Life | Faith | Family | Friends
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I’ve noticed that, just as many of us are quietly patriotic (except on Canada Day, of course), many of us are also quietly passionate about our political beliefs.
Our immediate family might disagree about the “quietly” part. They are the ones who listen to us comment on the news and talk politics at the dinner table. By and large, though, we might not talk about our political views unless we’re asked, even though we might hold strong opinions. We might not join a party, volunteer at a campaign office, or even put up a lawn sign.
We may also be passionate about our faith in our own quiet way.
Just as we might not wear our party colours on our sleeve, we might not announce our faith to others. We might not wear a crucifix, have a rosary in our pocket, or include a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary or St. Francis of Assisi in the garden. We might not have casual conversations about what we gave up for Lent or display icons in our home. That doesn’t mean our faith isn’t central to our lives.
When we commute to work, the people beside us might not know we’re using a rosary app on that MP3 player or listening to Gregorian chant. Other parents in the waiting room might not notice we’re reading a Christian parenting book or the Bible on an e-reader. But what they see is how we treat our neighbour—whether we’re kind and compassionate toward our family and other people we deal with and whether we try to help those in need, regardless of their ethnicity, religion or socioeconomic status. They see us working to raise our children to be respectful, caring people who are ready and willing to serve. What they see is our effort to live out our faith.
I love that we live in a country where we can wear a saint medal, attend a weekday Mass, and send religious Christmas cards if we choose. But there’s also a place for a quiet faith. Consider Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, where he commended the meek (see Matthew 5*) and encouraged us to give alms, pray and fast without drawing attention to ourselves (Matthew 6).
I pray that, if ours is a quiet faith, it would be a deeply held one.
(*Scripture references taken from the Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition.)
A Catholic Convert in Ottawa 