It is not uncommon for our friends or even close family to go through periods of doubt or even crisis in relation to their faith. They might encounter certain challenges to their beliefs which make them seriously question religion, perhaps becoming suspicious of its claims or even abandoning it altogether. One may experience troubles relating to work, finances, relationships or health and they might start to doubt whether God is truly there amidst their very real suffering. Whatever the reason or circumstance, it is a very real possibility to find ourselves in a position where such persons share their doubts with us. This calls for listening, compassion, empathy and walking with these persons. In order for this accompaniment to be authentic, this also calls for counsel – when and where prudent.

As Christians, we know that there is no better answer to life than God’s love for us. There is no greater good for human beings than their true flourishing in God. Therefore, by way of word and example, depending on our closeness to the doubtful person, any advice we give them should aim at lovingly orienting them to Jesus, our one true hope. Depending on the circumstances, one may respectfully suggest ways for the doubtful person to deepen and strengthen their faith, such as guiding them to an experienced spiritual director, inviting them to join a Catholic community or group offering good formation, or providing helpful Catholic resources.

Sometimes, doubts and difficulties in a person’s walk of life are traceable to misconceptions, misunderstandings or outright lack of knowledge of the truth. We live in a world where many different noises are constantly clamouring for our attention, all of them claiming to hold the keys to our happiness, the solutions to our problems. However, there is only one eternal source of truth that is truly healing and truly life-giving. A person with a humble heart will seek after God’s truths. The Church is the bearer of these truths, and she passes them down to us in her teachings.

Unfortunately, her voice is often silenced by the competing loud noises of the world. If we ourselves have received the grace of a good Catholic instruction, then it would be a great act of mercy to share these teachings with those who still thirst for them. This can and should only be done in a spirit of great humility, whilst realising that certain truths are too beautiful to be kept unshared. It is a bold declaration of hope to announce that love conquers hate, that beauty triumphs over ugliness, that harmony prevails over disorder, and this is what we do when we share Christian truth with a world that does not know it.

Jesus referred to himself as the Truth, the Way and the Life. His Church labours to share his saving truth with the world. However, evil tries to obscure the truth and to advance what is false instead. It is often the case, for example, that immoral and destructive behaviours or attitudes which lead us away from God (and therefore, away from life), are exalted as good and liberating, whilst holy things that lead us towards God, are portrayed as oppressive or outdated. This can mislead people into adopting sinful habits or lifestyles that keep them away from their authentic human flourishing. Sin enslaves with its lies. God frees with His truth. It is a liberating work of mercy to help those who have been taken captive by sin to return to freedom. If we truly love someone, we cannot approve of their sin. True love seeks the true good of the other person, even if it might mean having an uncomfortable conversation. Whilst we must always distinguish the sinner from the sin itself, it is sometimes healthy to respectfully caution and correct the person we love, especially if they persist in committing what Christ and His Church teach is evil. Jesus said that

“the truth will make you free” (Jn 8:32),

and proposing freedom from the slavery of sin can serve as a shining beacon of hope to those who are still in chains.

When people experience particularly difficult times, it is sometimes hard to find the right words to say to them. Think of serious illness, pain or loss. Nevertheless, we can comfort such persons in other ways. Our presence, our readiness to lend a hand or even simply being there and listening. Offering a shoulder to cry on, and letting them know that you are always a phone call away. Sending a message or writing a card to someone who is sorrowful or lonely can make a world of a difference. When the situation permits, words of consolation and encouragement can help a person look beyond the immediate darkness and hope for a better future. God does not want his children to despair but to be people of hope. Notwithstanding how dire a particular situation can be, He can work through us to bring this hope to those who need it most. After all, our hope in Him extends beyond our earthly limitations into the eternal.

Every time we pray the Our Father, we ask God to forgive our sins. This forgiveness is based on a condition:

“as we forgive those who trespass against us”. Jesus declares that if our neighbour wrongs us seven times in one day and says he is sorry seven times, then we should forgive him (Lk 17:3-4).

This means that if a person who committed an injustice against us repents, we cannot withhold our forgiveness. If the person is truly sorry, we must always be ready to forgive, and not bitterly hold on to resentment or hatred. No matter how badly or unfairly treated I may feel, I should always remember that Jesus Christ lovingly carried all my own personal sins on the cross. If He, the perfectly innocent Son of God chose to bear the burden of my sins and forgive me (perhaps even repeatedly), how can I, a sinner, fail to forgive another sinner like me? Human forgiveness reflects the sure hope we all have that God’s forgiveness is always ready to be freely extended to us, as long as we genuinely repent of our sins.

At times, we may be called not only to forgive a wrong, but also to patiently suffer wrongs for a duration of time. Perhaps this can be because someone in our lives has not repented of the wrong they are causing us. Perhaps they have not yet realised or understood that what they are doing is an injustice. They might still be going through a process of maturation and, in the meantime, they hurt us with careless words or actions. Whatever the case may be, we are called to avoid being bitter about wrongs done to us and to carry them as crosses in our daily lives, just like Jesus carried his cross to Calvary. This does not mean that we should not attempt to remedy injustices or even escape them where possible (especially if they are of a serious nature).

However, there are many instances where it is truly impossible to avoid the effects of injustices committed by others in our regard. In such cases we can either choose to live in constant anger and resentment, or else offer up our pain to the Lord, uniting our own suffering with Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. This will ultimately free us and allow us to experience an inner peace that only God can grant, notwithstanding the situation imposed upon us. Patience is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, so let us pray for His help. When we bear wrongs patiently, we offer the world a sign of hope: a sign that there is a reality that is far greater than anything we can gain, lose or suffer in this world.

Prayer is a very powerful means of opening our hearts to others. When we pray for others, we are interceding for them before God, and asking Him to bestow His graces on them. God is moved by our love for others when we bring it before Him in prayer. Just as Our Lady and the Saints intercede for us in Heaven, we can also do this for others in a variety of ways, including through personal spontaneous prayer or by offering intentions in more structured prayers. One of the most powerful ways to do this is by requesting mass intentions. During the mass, the highest and most worthy offering is made to the Father – the willing sacrifice of His own Son. When we unite our intercessory prayers together with this holiest sacrifice, the spiritual graces that shower down from Heaven, are immense.

The dead who are in purgatory can also benefit from such intercessory prayers. Let us frequently remember those suffering souls and intercede for them when we can. It is also something beautiful to intercede for those souls, whose names are unknown to us, but who have nobody on earth who still remembers them. Such souls may very well eagerly intercede for us once they make it to Heaven. Knowing that both the living and the dead are united in praying for each other as one unbroken family is a special sign of Christian hope to a hopeless world. A hope that is more powerful than death itself.