Faith, therefore, means believing what God declares to us, not because we understand it, nor
because we approve it, but simply because God, who speaks, is Truth itself, who can neither be
in error nor declare what is erroneous.

The Incarnation, for example, is not understood by any mortal intelligence. The Incarnation
means that God became man. How this was accomplished we do not know. But revelation states
that God the Son, the Second Person of the Trinity, became man. We believe it, and if necessary
would die for our belief, not because we understand this mystery, but because God has revealed
it to us.

It is the same with the Blessed Eucharist. No one understands how, by the words of consecration,
the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ. There is no evidence of this change,
and moreover it is entirely beyond our comprehension, yet we believe it on the word of God.
That is faith, believing not on the testimony of the senses, not on evidence, not on understanding,
but on the veracity of God. It is the highest honor we can pay God, for by our belief we sacrifice
our highest faculty, our judgment, on the altar of His veracity.

God is a spirit. No mortal man has ever seen God, as God. We have seen Him in some of His
effects; His power shown in the elements of nature, His goodness and beauty manifested in
creation, His knowledge and greatness as displayed in the firmament. Finally we have beheld His
love and His mercy by the revelation of Himself in the person of Jesus Christ, the God-Man.
Christ is called in ure the Word. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God . . . and the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us." With
man, a word is the manifestation of the invisible mind. So Christ, the Word, is the visible
manifestation of the invisible God. "No man hath seen God at any time: the Only-Begotten Son,
who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him" (John I. 18).

Faith is
not selective, it does not permit one to accept part and reject part of what is revealed. If any part
of revelation is false it is all false, since nothing containing even the slightest error can be from
God. Rather it should be said that it is not revelation if it is not all true.

To say that we will not
accept what we cannot understand is to dictate to God, and to limit Him in His relations with His
own creatures. To believe certain parts of divine revelation and reject others is to insult God.

Faith is a virtue. Like every virtue it must be tested. If God revealed to us only what we approved
of we should not be practicing faith, but censorship. And that is what many people are now doing
in the name of religion. Instead of believing in God they are censoring God. They are willing to
believe that God is love, but not that He is just, and a punisher of the wicked. They are willing to
believe in heaven, but not in hell. In other words they believe in themselves, not in God. Faith is
not that. Faith is the firm belief in what God declares because He declares it.

The Gospels are among the most authentic
documents of mankind. The greatest scholars of all creeds are agreed that the Gospels are genuine
history. The Christ of the Gospels is a historic personage. His miracles are His credentials If we
reject revelation we must reject Christ and regard Him as an impostor. They who do that must be
prepared to do so when they face God in judgment. But if revelation be accepted, every part of it
must be believed, believed so firmly that if need be we would die for our belief. That is the faith
of the saints, the faith of the martyrs, the faith of the hundreds of millions who in every
generation have lived in accordance with revelation, and were prepared to die for it. Christ is the
Light of the world. His revelation is the beacon to eternal life. Blessed indeed are they who are
guided by this light, for it leads them to the very house of God, and to membership in the family
of God.

In conclusion let it be understood that a chain is no stronger than its weakest link. If any part of
revelation be not true it is not divine revelation at all. If, therefore, we believe in revelation we
believe it entirely and absolutely. Christ did not propose His doctrine for debate, but imposed it
for our acceptance, as God alone can do. Hence His Church, which He constituted to be His
voice to mankind, speaks with His authority and with His certainty. His Church is part of divine
revelation, and the vehicle of conveying revelation to mankind. Faith, therefore, is the firm belief
in all that revelation teaches, because it is God's communication to mankind. Faith is not
selective, permitting us to accept certain things and to reject others. We must accept revelation in
its entirety or reject it altogether. In accepting revelation we are simply hearkening to God. We
need not fear to go astray following that Voice.

Christ is the dividing point of history. We date our years before or after Christ. He is also the
dividing point of man for all men are either with Him or against Him. It is thus seen that Christ is
the most important personality in the world. He has even now more followers, who are devoted
lovers, than any monarch that ever lived, no matter how powerful or beloved.

Napoleon was once complimented on the devotion of his people to him. He replied: "Do not
speak to me of loyalty and devotion. There is One who died on a cross nearly two thousand years
ago who has had, and now has, more ardent lovers than any monarch that ever lived. There are
millions today who are ready to lay down their lives for the Crucified, millions today are living
for Him and toiling for Him in every part of the world. No King was ever served so faithfully
and generously as He who said, 'My kingdom is not of this world,' and whose crown was of
thorns, and whose throne was the cross."