One of my favorite stories in the Old Testament is that of Moses. When he is called by God, he sees a bush on fire, but the bush is not consumed, and he is drawn to it, wanting to learn what is going on.

So, it is with our faith too. All of us have a sense of the faith in our hearts, and then we come to know it in our minds too – but growth in the faith is a process. Lent gives us a time to grow in our faith. As we hear in this week’s Gospel of the Transfiguration of Jesus, Peter, James and John get a glimpse of sorts of where they are going, but they have more work to do.

Lent is a great time to think about our own faith journey, and to see how it is maturing.

For one, faith involves consistency. By connecting with God daily through prayer and actively engaging in Sunday Mass, we can come to know God at a deeper level.

Second, faith involves listening to God. Prayer gives us direction. And part of the maturity of our faith is “letting go, letting God.” Sometimes God will challenge us to take a new direction or say no to something we really want.

Third, faith entails challenging ourselves to think more deeply about ourselves and one another. It’s important we say or read the words whether it’s familiar prayers or praying with Scripture, but also that we think about them.

Fourth, think about the faith. Why do we believe what we believe? We do not want to be a “Catholic Pharisee” in the sense we memorize the rules or the outer practices of piety without having interior conversion or knowing the deeper meaning of our faith. Remember faith is a matter of the head and the heart. There are many great resources to look at to learn more about our beliefs from the catechism to online resources to books by outstanding Catholic authors modern and classic. So do some digging and investigating to learn more about the faith to grow in it.  Of course, be cautious because for every good Catholic website out there, there are plenty too that are heavily biased or may have bad information.

Fifth, remember that at the end of the time on the mountain, Jesus, Peter, James and John go back down the mountain. Prayer gives us guidance and strength, but we also face the challenges of life. Jesus though journeys with us. Living it out through our vocations, through forgiving others, through going the extra mile for people all entails work, which is a manifestation of our faith.

And lastly, share the faith. Sometimes we can be fearful of talking about our faith. Or it can be frustrating if people don’t share our beliefs, or fall away, or we can think what we say falls on deaf ears. From strangers to family, we need to seize opportunities to evangelize thorough patience and persistence, to help bring one another to God.

My faith continues to grow, as it will throughout my life. Every day I strive to learn the meaning of the words I say, and to hear the voice of God, and try better to live it out. I have no idea what tomorrow will bring, but I do know that journeying with God, He will get me through tomorrow and home to Him, for He is with me every step of the way up and down the mountains of life.

God’s blessings to you,

Fr. Paul

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February 27, 2026