Lent 2026 - Reading #33 - Faith
Reading
Pope Francis, in his encyclical Lumen Fidei, reflects on faith as a light that illuminates the whole of life: "Faith is born of an encounter with the living God who calls us and reveals his love, a love which precedes us and upon which we can lean for security and for building our lives. Transformed by this love, we gain fresh eyes with which to see; we realize that it contains a great promise of fulfillment, and that a vision of the future opens up before us." Francis continues: "Faith does not merely gaze at Jesus, but sees things as Jesus himself sees them, with his own eyes: it is a participation in his way of seeing. In many areas in our lives we trust others who know more than we do. We trust the architect who builds our home, the pharmacist who gives us medicine for healing, the lawyer who defends us in court. We also need someone trustworthy and knowledgeable where God is concerned. Jesus, the Son of God, is the one who makes God known to us." The pope affirms that faith is not private or interior only: "Precisely because it is linked to love, the light of faith is concretely placed at the service of justice, law, and peace. Faith is not a light which scatters all our darkness, but a lamp which guides our steps in the night and suffices for the journey.
Reflection
Thirty-five days into Lent, Pope Francis draws together many of the threads we have been weaving throughout this journey. Faith is not opposed to the cardinal virtues we cultivated in the first four weeks; it illuminates them. The light of faith makes prudence sharper, justice warmer, fortitude deeper, and temperance freer. Our pilgrimage is not leaving the earlier virtues behind but transfiguring them. Francis's image of faith as a lamp rather than a floodlight is especially apt for the Lenten journey. We do not see the whole road; we see only the next step. This is not a deficiency of faith but its nature. God gives us enough light for today, and tomorrow he will give us enough for tomorrow. The temptation is always to demand more, to want a detailed map, a guaranteed outcome, a clear explanation for every suffering. Faith says: the lamp is enough. Trust the One who holds it. Notice also how Francis connects faith back to the communal, interpersonal dimension we explored in our week on justice. Faith is not a private spiritual hobby; it serves justice, law, and peace. The person of faith does not retreat from the world but engages it more fully, seeing it through Christ's eyes. As this week continues, let faith reshape not only your prayer life but your daily interactions. See things as Jesus sees them, with compassion, with truth, with hope. This is faith in action, and it is the light that will carry us through the remaining days of Lent.