The Great Merit of Pure Faith: Hidden Sanctity

Faith is the cornerstone of our spiritual life, yet it is also one of the most mysterious and challenging aspects to embrace. Often, we look at the lives of saints and marvel at their extraordinary experiences—revelations, visions, and miracles. But as Jean-Pierre de Caussade reminds us in Abandonment to Divine Providence, it is the quiet and steadfast exercise of pure faith that brings the greatest merit, far more than any grand external work or supernatural event.

Pure Faith in Everyday Life

In my own life, I have often been captivated by the idea of the miraculous. Whether it's reading about the apparitions of saints or hearing stories of answered prayers in astonishing ways, there’s something in us that longs for tangible signs of God’s presence. However, what I’ve come to realize over time is that God’s greatest work often happens in the unseen moments, the quiet corners of our lives where faith is exercised without fanfare.

Take, for example, the day-to-day responsibilities of a homeschooling mom. It may seem ordinary, even mundane, but in every moment of guiding my children, I am learning the quiet exercise of faith. There are no heavenly visions or miraculous healings here—just the persistent belief that the seeds of love and knowledge I am planting will bear fruit in God’s time. That, too, is faith, pure and simple, but powerful beyond measure.

The Hidden Strength of the Saints

De Caussade writes that what is most wonderful in the saints is not the miracles or extraordinary manifestations, but rather “the constancy of their faith under every circumstance.” It is their unwavering trust in God that sets them apart, even when their lives were marked by struggle, obscurity, or suffering.

This resonates deeply with me because I, too, have moments where I feel that my life is hidden in obscurity, away from the public eye, making little difference in the grand scheme of things. But faith reminds me that it’s not about being seen or achieving worldly recognition. Instead, it’s about being faithful to God’s will in every little moment, trusting that His plan is unfolding in ways I may never fully understand.

One personal experience that reflects this is a period when my family was facing financial hardship. As the bills piled up and our resources grew scarce, I could feel the weight of worry and fear pressing down on me. But instead of despairing, I chose to rely on God in a very real way, placing my trust in His providence. Though we did not experience any miraculous windfall, I hold deep faith that God will provide for us. With careful planning, unwavering trust, and a deepened prayer life, I believe we will eventually settle our finances.

The greatest miracle today is that my anxiety about finances is slowly fading. I no longer feel overwhelmed by fear or uncertainty. Instead, I am learning to rest in the peace that comes from trusting God’s timing and provision. That, to me, is a far greater gift—finding inner calm and clarity amid challenges, knowing that God’s quiet, steady guidance will see us through.

The Glory of Faith in Obscurity

Faith, especially pure faith, does not need grandiose signs to be real. De Caussade teaches that those who live by faith receive extraordinary signs not as proofs but as favors from God. These saints often don’t seek out or rely on these signs; they are content in their quiet faithfulness, confident in God’s will, even when it remains hidden from them.

There’s something incredibly inspiring about this—knowing that many saints, some of whom we may never know by name, lived and died in profound obscurity, shining brightly in God’s eyes though invisible to the world. This challenges me to embrace the hiddenness of my own life. Whether I’m folding laundry, teaching lessons, or simply praying in silence, God sees it all, and that’s what truly matters.

Trusting God Moment by Moment

De Caussade reminds us that faith allows us to see and hear God in every moment, even in the most ordinary ones. This is perhaps the greatest challenge and the greatest gift of pure faith. It requires us to let go of the desire for extraordinary signs and trust that God is at work, even when we can’t see it.

In my personal experience, I’ve found that trusting God moment by moment is a daily exercise. It’s not something that comes naturally, but the more I practice it, the more peace I find. Whether it’s in the way I parent my children, manage my home, or face life’s uncertainties, I am learning that pure faith—quiet, unassuming, and steadfast—is what sustains me.

Encouraging Faith in Everyday Life

For those reading this, I encourage you to reflect on your own life and recognize the quiet acts of faith that you practice every day. You may not have visions or miraculous signs, but that doesn’t mean your faith is any less powerful. Like the saints who lived in obscurity, your trust in God, even in the most ordinary moments, brings great merit in His eyes.

Let us strive to cultivate pure faith, finding joy and peace in trusting God’s will, no matter how hidden or ordinary it may seem. As de Caussade beautifully puts it, "Faith is proved in hiding, and not in manifesting itself." It is in these hidden moments of surrender that we come to know the greatness of God’s love and experience the true merit of faith.

Let us all embrace the quiet glory of faith in obscurity, trusting that God’s will is working through us, even in the small, everyday moments. By doing so, we participate in a sanctity that doesn’t require extraordinary manifestations but rests firmly in the joy of pure, simple faith.