Everyone loves getting a present. Just think about your last birthday party and the best gift you received. Was it wrapped up in shiny paper and decorated with curly ribbons and fancy bows? Did your eyes sparkle when you saw the gift box? Were you filled with wonder about what was inside? Did you excitedly tear away the wrapping, open the box, and cherish its contents? Faith is just like that perfectly wrapped present. Faith is a gift that is given to us freely by God – we just have to unwrap it and cherish its contents. When we have the desire to believe and listen to God, we are unwrapping this gift of faith. The YOUCAT (Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church) describes what faith is by identifying its seven characteristics: 1. Faith is a sheer gift which we receive when we fervently ask for it. 2. Faith is the supernatural power that is absolutely necessary if we are to attain salvation. 3. Faith requires free will and understanding of a person when he accepts the divine invitation. 4. Faith is absolutely certain because Jesus guarantees it. 5. Faith is incomplete unless it leads to active love. 6. Faith grows when we listen more and more carefully to God’s Word and enter a lively exchange with him in prayer. 7. Faith gives us a foretaste of the joy of heaven. This week, take some time to acknowledge and embrace this beautiful gift.
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