Pope Says Faith Includes Trust In Dark Moments

Pope Benedict XVI continued his series of reflections on faith, saying that at times it includes an element of darkness. "We encounter moments where God seems absent, his silence weighs on our hearts and his will doesn't correspond to our own as we would like it to," the Pope told pilgrims on Dec. 19. "But the more we open ourselves to God, we receive the gift of faith and put our trust in him completely, the more he empowers us with his presence to live every situation in peace assured by his loyalty and love," he said during his weekly general audience. He emphasized that this happens after opening one's soul to God through faith, just as Abraham did after he was asked to sacrifice his son and as Mary did when she had to watch her son be crucified.