It is narrated that, in one of Ingersoll’s lectures, the noted American infidel orator derided the Catholic Faith, calling it a beautiful empty dream. At the close of the lecture an old Irish washerwoman arose from her place in the audience and spoke to the great orator. "What do you give me in exchange for my faith in the future life, a faith which has sustained me, yes, made my rough, hard life these many years in the main peaceful, happy ones?" Then, answering her own question, she continued: "You give me only despair; you leave me without hope, with my faith of years shattered, nothing to live for; or you try to leave me thus – but, sir, even granting, which I do not, that you are right, I still maintain, I am happier in my faith, and hope – happier even though it were but a dream."

Our Faith is not an empty dream, just as the old Irish washerwoman maintained it wasn’t. The truths we believe in are reasonable, not something to be accepted blindly but facts found in Sacred Scripture and Tradition which have every earmark of history. Reason is the threshold to belief. We believe the truths which God has revealed not because we can always understand these truths – there some that we cannot understand – but because of the authority of God Himself Who has revealed them, and who can neither deceive nor be deceived.

Knowing the confusion that exists in the minds of so many around us, it is not surprising to hear them say: "Why is it necessary to accept any creed at all? Will not my hereafter be secure if I live a good honest life according to my own conscience? What difference does it make what religion a man professes, as long as he live up to it?"

An assertion that "it does not matter what I believe, whether I hold any faith at all" is self-contradiction. It is a first principle of reason that two contradictory statements cannot be true. If the one is true, the other must be false. Either there are many gods, or there is one God. Either Jesus Christ is the Son of God, or He is not. Mohammed was either a prophet or an impostor. Divorce is either lawful, or it is not. Either Jesus Christ is present in the Blessed Sacrament, or He is not. To declare that all religions are equally true is to deny that there is such a thing as truth. On this theory, a man ought to change his religion as he changes his clothes, according to his environment. He ought to be a Catholic in Italy, a Lutheran in Sweden, a Mohammedan in Turkey, a Jew in Judea, a Brahman in India, and a Parsee in Persia.

We readily see, therefore, that they who say that God does not care what we believe, that He is indifferent whether we believe truth or falsehood, consider good evil, or evil good, accept His revelation or reject it at will, are guilty of nothing short of blasphemy. Such people usually end by denying God altogether. For he who says "it does not make any difference what a man believes" is tempted to adopt its logical conclusion, and say "it does not make any difference what a man does." His moral life is built on the shifting sands of personal opinion, human respect, and nothing more.

My dear men, God did not leave us in doubt about the way we should work in saving our immortal souls. He revealed what He wanted us to do and to believe. He commanded his Apostles to go forth and teach: "Go, teach all nations; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." "There are some," says St. Paul, "that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we or an angel from heaven preach a gospel to you besides that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed." After giving the command to the Apostles to go forth and teach, Christ added: "He that believeth not shall be condemned". "Without faith," says St. Paul, "it is impossible to please God."

From all this it is evident that faith, a definite creed, is necessary. But in order that our faith be genuine, pleasing to God, and beneficial to ourselves, it must possess certain qualities: (l) It must be universal. (2) Our faith must be firm. (Our faith is firm when we permit no doubt to enter our minds). (3) Our faith must be a living faith; that is, we must practice it in our daily lives. "Not everyone who says, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter into the kingdom of heaven." (4) Lastly, our faith must be steadfast, that is, once I know what God has revealed - nothing on earth can change me.

THE REWARD FOR PRACTICING OUR FAITH IN OUR DAILY LIVES AND CLINGING FAST TO IT WILL BE ETERNAL HAPPINESS WITH GOD IN HEAVEN.