Why We Believe: Knowledge Through Love, by Dr. Jeff Mirus

By Dr. Jeff Mirus, Catholic Culture, May 05, 2020

Jeffrey Mirus holds a Ph.D. in intellectual history from Princeton University. A co-founder of Christendom College, he also pioneered Catholic Internet services. He is the founder of Trinity Communications and CatholicCulture.org. See full bio.

The mysteries of our faith are not confined to the supernatural realities which are the object of our faith, such as the infinite being of God, the inscrutability of Divine providence, the unfathomable unity of God’s justice and mercy, or the absolute dependence of all creation on God’s continuous will. No, the mysteries also include all the finite persons God has brought into being, both angelic and human. How is it, for example, that with such superior perception of the Godhead as the angels enjoy, so many could have refused to adore? And how is it that human persons, adrift in relative darkness, can still come to believe and adore?

One of the mysteries of faith is how we come to possess faith in the first place. We are taught that faith is a gift, and yet St. Peter himself admonishes us to “be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you” (1 Pet 3:15). We may take the gift for granted, but on reflection we cannot see how we have deserved it. Moreover, we cannot help but reflect—and not always incorrectly, barring any definitive judgment—on the apparent stubbornness which locks others in a kind of perverse denial. Moreover, each person’s experience of the faith is different, and each would cite a different set of reasons for trusting the certainty which faith supplies.  ….

Read more here:  https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/why-we-believe-knowledge-through-love/