How can doubt, an experience often shunned, be the gateway to a profound connection with God?
In a recent episode of "The Catholic Talk Show," Ryan Scheel, Ryan Dellacrosse, and Father Rich Pagano dive deep into the complexities of faith, especially the phases shadowed by doubt.
Scheel profoundly encapsulates the essence of our journey of faith amidst doubt.
"We worship a hidden God," Scheel says. "We worship and have faith in things that we do not see and cannot touch."
The guys emphasize, however, that doubt isn't a reflection of weak faith or inherent sinfulness.
"Doubt is not a sin; it's not a moral issue," Father Pagano says. "Doubt is something that we experience through life."
Scheels strongly affirms the sentiment.
"Any Christian who tells you they don't have doubts is either incredibly blessed with a very specific and very rare charism or lying."
Drawing inspiration from the scriptures and personal narratives, the guys highlight that moments of skepticism have been shared by many.
"If one of the Apostles is known as the doubter, it affects so many of the Body of Christ," Father Pagano says.
Many saints have felt distanced or abandoned by God, like Mother Teresa or Paul of the Cross.
"They had 40 years where she's like, 'I don’t know if God's even real,'"Scheel adds.
But does doubt weaken our bond with the Divine? Quite the contrary!
"Doubt can be the passageway into a greater, stronger faith," Father Pagano says.
Just as physical training strengthens our muscles, "doubt is the resistance to build the muscle... it's the resistance of building your faith," Dellacrosse insightfully shares.
For those with doubts, Father Pagano says we can trust in the unwavering presence of the Catholic Church.
"Any other type of organization, any type of legal code, any type of institution or nation has come and gone," Father Pagano explains. "This institution that Christ has established has already proven itself that it's not going anywhere until the end of time."