Live The Faith, Live The Questions

R

omans 10:17 "So faith comes from hearing..." I begin with this line because it speaks of the beginnings of Abraham in his journey of faith.

When Abraham prostrated himself, God spoke to him: “My covenant with you is this: you are to become the father of a host of nations.”

This call already contained a promise—that Abraham would become the father of many nations. But God made the promise even clearer: “I will render you exceedingly fertile; I will make nations of you; kings shall stem from you.”

The word fertile refers first to Israel, often described in the Bible as “a land flowing with milk and honey,” a sign of abundance and blessing.

This promise is both physical and spiritual. God gives not only land, but also life, hope, and blessing. In modern times, the founding of the State of Israel in 1948 is seen by many as part of this long story of promise across four millennia or forty centuries. Yet the conflicts that continue in the region also remind us how the promise can be misunderstood or narrowed—when land is claimed without remembering that God’s promise was meant to be a blessing for many, not a cause of division.

Abraham’s story, therefore, goes beyond one people. Jews, Christians, and Muslims all look to him as father in faith. His story continues to call believers to hope, even as the search for peace goes on.

Second, we notice the change of name from Abram to Abraham. The change may seem small, but it is deeply meaningful. In the Bible, giving a name is an act of choosing and belonging. It is like a father naming a child and saying, “This is mine.”

God changes Abram’s name to Abraham to show that he now belongs to God’s plan. The Jewish people take great pride in being God’s chosen people. But it is important to remember: they did not choose God first—God chose them. And God seals the promise with these words: “I will be their God.”

Third, Abraham enters into a covenant with God. This is where the journey becomes difficult. After God speaks and calls, the possibility of discouragement may quietly enter the journey. Discouragement is one of the greatest dangers in the spiritual life.

When I guide retreatants in the 30-day retreat, I often reflect on the testing of Abraham’s faith. Abraham walks up the mountain with his beloved son Isaac. Imagine the scene: an old father and his young son walking together. Abraham carries the burning torch in one hand and the knife in the other. It was a moment filled with pain and confusion. Abraham had every reason to be discouraged. How could God ask a father to sacrifice his beloved son?

In moments like this, we must stop, look, and listen. St Ignatius of Loyola calls this the discernment of spirits. Discouragement often comes from deception. God, who is the way, the truth, and the life, does not discourage. God may test us, but he does not lead us into despair. Mother Teresa once said, “God allows failure, but He does not want discouragement.”

Abraham climbed the mountain assuring his son that God will provide. Because of this act of faith, Abraham is honored by the three great monotheistic religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The Muslim feast of Eid al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice, also remembers this moment of faith.

But Abraham did not do this by his own strength alone. He trusted a God who was quietly guiding him, even in the darkness. He models not a faith that has everything figured out, but a true faith that walks, listens, and trusts.

So today, we ask for the grace—not to have all the answers—but to remain faithful in the questions, trusting that God is leading us, step by step, into His promise. Let me end with a quote from Rainer Maria Rilke:

Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don’t search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.

Amen, Fr JM Manzano SJ