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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Help in feeling faith	Siobhan	Friday, June 26, 2009
Question: Dear Brother Since being diagnosed with incurable cancer in February 2009, I have returned to my Catholic faith which I had neglected. I truly believe in Jesus Christ our Lord and his teachings; I pray everyday and read and study the Bible and other sanctioned holy books to increase my understanding which was pitifully poor before all this. However, no matter how much I ask and beg Our Lord, God the Father, the Blessed Virgin and my chosen saints, I cannot feel faith in my heart. I feel alone, I don't sense God's presence no matter how hard I meditate, and so I constantly have doubtful thoughts popping in my head. I get so angry with myself. I want to redeem myself to Our Lord as much as I can before I die. I thank God that he guided me to your website-it has already been a wonderful guide, and ferverently pray that you can help me. God bless you and the good work and help your site provides, Siobhan
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Siobhan: Faith is not about feelings. It is about making a decision to believe whether you feel it or not. Mother Teresa didn't "feel it" most of her life but was faithful to God anyway and spent many hours before our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament even though she had doubts the He was there. Sometimes all you can go on is to cling to what you KNOW to be true, even if you do not believe it, even if you do not feel it. You can KNOW God exists because He says so in the Bible and through the Church. You can KNOW that God has not abandoned you because He says so. You can KNOW that He loves you because He says so. Since God is not a liar, you can trust these things to be true, even if you don't feel it. Focus on the these things that we can objectively know as true because God said so and He does not lie. Next, persevere. That is the key to the Christian life. Continue to faithful even if you don't feel it. Eventually, your feelings will catch-up to what you know to be true; but you must be patient. Praise God for this dryness of feelings. Ask Him what He has for you to learn through this dryness. I would recommend the book, "Spiritual Despondancy and Temptation" and also the article, "Christian Resignation as a Prerequisite to Freedom and Victory in Christ". God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Help in feeling faith

Siobhan

Friday, June 26, 2009

Question:

Dear Brother

Since being diagnosed with incurable cancer in February 2009, I have returned to my Catholic faith which I had neglected. I truly believe in Jesus Christ our Lord and his teachings; I pray everyday and read and study the Bible and other sanctioned holy books to increase my understanding which was pitifully poor before all this.

However, no matter how much I ask and beg Our Lord, God the Father, the Blessed Virgin and my chosen saints, I cannot feel faith in my heart. I feel alone, I don't sense God's presence no matter how hard I meditate, and so I constantly have doubtful thoughts popping in my head.

I get so angry with myself. I want to redeem myself to Our Lord as much as I can before I die. I thank God that he guided me to your website-it has already been a wonderful guide, and ferverently pray that you can help me.

God bless you and the good work and help your site provides,
Siobhan

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Siobhan:

Faith is not about feelings. It is about making a decision to believe whether you feel it or not. Mother Teresa didn't "feel it" most of her life but was faithful to God anyway and spent many hours before our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament even though she had doubts the He was there.

Sometimes all you can go on is to cling to what you KNOW to be true, even if you do not believe it, even if you do not feel it. You can KNOW God exists because He says so in the Bible and through the Church. You can KNOW that God has not abandoned you because He says so. You can KNOW that He loves you because He says so.

Since God is not a liar, you can trust these things to be true, even if you don't feel it.

Focus on the these things that we can objectively know as true because God said so and He does not lie.

Next, persevere. That is the key to the Christian life. Continue to faithful even if you don't feel it. Eventually, your feelings will catch-up to what you know to be true; but you must be patient.

Praise God for this dryness of feelings. Ask Him what He has for you to learn through this dryness.

I would recommend the book, "Spiritual Despondancy and Temptation" and also the article, "Christian Resignation as a Prerequisite to Freedom and Victory in Christ".

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.