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What is religious belief? 

     Faith is not only a theoretical recognition of the truth of a known statement, but also a living direct conviction “and confidence in the unseen” (Heb. 11, 1). A belief that goes beyond what can be proven by facts. Faith is like a telescope: with it the eye sees what it cannot see when unarmed. So faith expands our inner horizons, points to the mind new supernatural truths and the invisible. Saint Demetrius of Rostov writes: “We do not see God, because no one has seen him anywhere, but we undoubtedly believe that God exists – this is faith. We do not see our Savior in heaven with a glorified body, but we certainly believe this – this is faith. We do not see our God, who is omnipresent and always present with us, but we believe in him – this is faith.” This does not mean that faith goes against the obvious facts or the undoubted conclusions of reason; 

     However, if faith finds its confirmation in the facts of experience or reason, its inner essence is a demand not only of the mind, but also of all the forces of the human spirit, which forces one to seek God, love Him and reach out to Him. 

     “God! – shouts David. You are my God, I seek You from the early dawn; My soul longs for You, my flesh is exhausted because of You, in an empty, dry and waterless land” (Ps. 62, 2). This shows how important faith is for a person. 

     “We know by faith” (Heb. 11:3), “We walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7), says St. Apostle Paul. Faith permeates the whole essence of a person, being the main principle of his life activity. Where there is faith, there is hope. As the apostle teaches, faith is the basis of hope, because “faith… is the fulfillment of what is hoped for and the assurance of what is not seen” (Hebrews 11:1), and where there is hope, there is patience and good-naturedness in enduring sorrows (Hebrews 6:12). 

     Undoubtedly, sorrows are not easy for a believer either. And Christians, imitating the Savior, sometimes pray to the Heavenly Father: “My Father! If possible, let this cup pass from me” (Mt. 26, 39). However, the believer voluntarily surrenders himself to God’s will, saying with the Savior: “My Father, if this cup cannot pass from me… let Your will be done” (Matthew 26:42). 

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     “Like a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Tim. 2, 3), a Christian endures sorrows courageously, convinced that the Lord will not send him trials that outweigh his possible strength, but in the case of temptation, he will also give him the strength to endure it (1 Cor. 10, 13). He knows that the test is sent by God for his own good. “Gold,” says the Wise, “is tested by fire, and people pleasing to God in the crucible of humiliation” (Sir. 2, 5). Let us remember the forefather Abraham. What a severe trial of his faith when he was commanded to sacrifice his only son! Let’s remember the trials sent to righteous Job. However, how patiently and courageously these Old Testament righteous people endured their sorrows! “And all of them, certified in faith, did not receive what was promised, because God planned something better for us, so that they would not achieve perfection without us” (Heb. 11, 39-40). And the righteous of the Old Testament saw the promise from afar and rejoiced: “Abraham, your father,” says the Lord, “would have been glad to see My day; and saw and rejoiced” (John 8, 56). 

     What an amazing power of faith! This same faith strengthened and inspired the apostles during the ailments and labors that accompanied the apostolic feat. “We,” says the apostle Paul, “are unknown, but we will be known; they consider us dead, but here we are alive; we are punished, but we do not die; they grieve us, but we always rejoice” (2 Cor. 6, 9-10). What the holy apostle said about the apostles can be said about the entire original Church of Christ. Saint Paul tells us the unshakable truth when he says: “If I speak with the tongues of men and angels… and know all mysteries and have all knowledge… but do not have love, then I am nothing” (1 Cor. 13, 1-2 ). 

     If the importance of faith in our life is so great, then shouldn’t we “examine ourselves whether we are in the faith” (2 Cor. 13, 1-2). 

     Ми покликані Господом через віру до спасіння благовіствуванням апостольським (2 Фес. 2, 13-14). Ми не чули безпосередньо проповіді тих очевидців, котрі бачили втіленого Сина Божого, але належимо до Церкви, котра свято охороняє апостольське передання. Це та віра, закликом до якої Господь почав і закінчив Своє самовіддане служіння: «Це є перемога, яка перемогла світ, – віра наша» (1 Ін. 5, 4). Віра наша це – коштовна перлина, яку, щоб придбати, за притчею Христовою, багач продає всі свої інші скарби. 

     Apostle Paul says: “Watch, stand in the faith, be courageous, firm” (1 Cor. 16, 13). But it is possible to stand firmly in the faith, being in Christ’s Church, a living and blessed union of Christian souls. In the Church we rejoice and cry together, here everyone is taught by the other and everyone lives a common spiritual life. It comes from the very Source of life, and what Jesus Christ Himself once begged His Heavenly Father for, crying out to Him: “That all may be one: as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, so let them be in We are one” (Jn. 17, 21), is carried out visibly on earth. And we pray to the Lord that He will unite us all in His holy, Cathedral and Apostolic Church and increase “our faith” (Lk. 17, 5). Amen.

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