Faith and Doubt

Where it surfaces

• Verses on Various Occasions

  The poems explore the tension between belief and uncertainty, especially in the face of suffering and mortality.

• I: Solitude

  The narrator wrestles with doubt and despair, yet affirms trust in God's guidance and the power of prayer to sustain faith.

• II: My Birthday

  The poem contrasts worldly folly and despair with a faithful trust in divine guidance and protection.

• III: Paraphrase of Isaiah 64

  Despite the overwhelming sense of guilt and divine wrath, the poem holds onto faith in God's enduring counsels and salvation.

• To F. W. N.

  The poem expresses firm faith in God's call and the mother's prayers, with no room for doubt, as the brothers are summoned as champions.

• A Picture

  The maiden's faith is portrayed as providing a sure repose, even in the face of death.

• XIV: The Hidden Ones

  The poem contrasts the world's reliance on outward signs with the faithful's trust in unseen grace, and questions who can trace the soul's struggle.

• XV: Thanksgiving

  Faith thrives in the world's shame, and the speaker trusts in God's providence despite hardships.

• XVII: Epiphany-Eve

  The poem expresses faithful devotion to Mary and Christ, with a tone of certainty and trust, though it acknowledges the mystery of Mary's rest and the sorrow of separation.

• XXIV: Zeal and Love

  It contrasts book-lore and philosophical flame with true faith, which is tested in trials.

• XXVI: Zeal and Purity

  Faith is depicted as both serving and adoring, yet also capable of blame, highlighting the complexity of belief.

• XXXI: Angelic Guidance

  The speaker oscillates between hope and uncertainty, questioning whether the signs of angelic guidance are real or imagined, and whether earth-stained souls can claim them.

• XXXV: Private Judgment

  The wanderers' distress and reliance on weak will illustrate the struggle between personal doubt and the call to faith in established doctrine.

• XXXVI: The Watchman

  The watchman is urged to remain faithful despite threatened woe and few faithful, trusting that weakness is Heaven's might.

• XLI: A Word in Season

  The speaker wrestles with how to faithfully witness amid opposition, trusting in divine timing.

• XLVI: Jeremiah

  The prophet's momentary error in thinking God denied him repose contrasts with the Christian assurance of heavenly rest, exploring the tension between doubt and faith.

• Christmas Without Christ

  The speaker struggles to maintain festive faith without the felt presence of Christ.

• LI: Abraham

  Abraham exemplifies unwavering faith, choosing God's portion and communing with God despite the world's mockery.

• LII: The Greek Fathers

  References to 'days of doubt and pain' and the Fathers' steadfast faith in the face of heresy and persecution.

• LIV: The Death of Moses

  The speaker clings to the promise despite not possessing it, wrestling with the tension between vision and unfulfilled hope.

• LV: Melchizedek

  The lonely heart's flight beyond the veil to seek God's presence reflects a deep faith amidst earthly desolation.

• Behind the Veil

  The speaker's journey from scorn to faith, finding grace in a simple sermon.

• LXI: David and Jonathan

  Explores the tension between earthly kingship and spiritual holiness, with Jonathan's memory serving as a moral anchor.

• LXIII: The Call of David

  David's faith is tested through 'dizzied faith' and 'guilt,' yet the angels remain steadfast in their guidance.

• LXVI: Superstition

  Contrasts superstitious fear with steadfast faith in Christ alone, rejecting reliance on charms or heathen rites.

• LXIX: Hope

  Faith admires the desolate scene and trusts in the promise of salvation despite the judgment.

• LXX: St. Paul at Melita

  The poem encourages Christians to do their part and leave the rest to Heaven, emphasizing faith in divine providence over doubt.

• LXXII: Warnings

  Faith disowns earthly fears and trusts Heaven's call, while science and dreams are questioned as sources of understanding.

• Dreams

  The speaker struggles with the misery of dreams but ultimately trusts in the divine purpose behind the suffering.

• Our Future

  The speaker trusts in God's hidden plan despite not knowing the future, embodying faith over doubt.

• Heathenism

  The chapter questions whether faith is necessary for God's presence, suggesting that even among heathens, God can work.

• Relics of Saints

  The chapter affirms faith in the living presence of the saints despite the sophist's cunning tests and the apparent finality of death.

• LXXXIV: Declension

  The speaker wrestles with doubt about the efficacy of effort, ultimately affirming trust in God's will.

• The Age to Come

  The narrator's internal conflict between his burning truths and the dismissive reasoners highlights a struggle of faith against doubt.

• Reverence

  The tension between the comfort of the gospel for the pierced soul and the warning 'Touch Me not' for the worldly reveals a dynamic of faith and doubt.

• XC: The Pillar of the Cloud

  The speaker's trust in divine guidance despite the encircling gloom and inability to see the distant scene.

• XCIII: Faith Against Sight

  The poem encourages faith in the face of scorn and apparent madness, urging believers to trust in divine purpose despite worldly opposition.

• XCIV: Desolation

  The poem directly addresses the feeling of being abandoned by God and counters it with reminders of His hidden but constant presence.

• XCVII: St. Paul

  The narrator's passionate complaint and initial envy of past saints give way to the quiet revelation of St. Paul's presence, suggesting a tension between longing and faith.

• XCVIII: Flowers Without Fruit

  The poem emphasizes that faith's humble actions are more valuable than fleeting emotional prayers, highlighting the tension between genuine faith and superficial piety.

• Vexations

  Urges trust in God's care without the need for visible signs, rejecting Thomas-like doubt.

• CI: The Church in Prayer

  Questions the saint's apparent idleness, but reaffirms faith in the hidden purpose of prayer and divine timing.

• CII: The Wrath to Come

  The narrator experiences doubt regarding the harshness of the doctrine of hell, but finds resolution through faith in Scripture and the Church's teaching.

• CIII: Pusillanimity

  The chapter explores the tension between human fear and the call to faithful action, as seen in John's hesitation and the believer's own 'pusillanimity'.

• CV: Hora Novissima

  The prayer expresses faith in God's aid anywhere, yet acknowledges the human dread of dying alone, balancing trust with vulnerability.

• CVI: Progress of Unbelief

  The poem depicts the progress of unbelief as truth fades and the country turns from faith to idolatry.

• Consolation

  The speaker battles gloom and fear, yet clings to Christ's promise.

• CIX: The Gift of Tongues

  The speaker questions whether the gift of tongues has been lost due to a dearth of faith and prayer.

• CX: The Power of Prayer

  The chapter emphasizes that feeble prayer of faith can obtain grace and release from chains.

• Semita Justorum

  The speaker searches to know what God will reveal, indicating a posture of faithful anticipation mixed with uncertainty.

• CXII: The Elements

  The twilight dim of human knowledge and the fearfullest powers that encompass man highlight the tension between human reason and faith in divine order.

• CXIII: Apostacy

  The speaker contrasts France's former faith with its current apostasy, expressing doubt about its present state.

• CXIV: Judaism

  Abraham's faith is contrasted with the doubt and denial of his progeny, and the chapter questions the efficacy of prayer and intercession.

• CXV: Separation of Friends

  The poem centers on the struggle between faith and sight, hope and fear, as the living grapple with the uncertainty of the afterlife.

• Morning

  The speaker's prayer expresses a firm faith in God's guidance, while acknowledging the potential to stray.

• CXXIII: Matins—Sunday

  The call to 'wait with wistful eyes' and trust in divine mercy reflects a posture of faithful anticipation.

• CXXIV: Matins—Sunday

  The hymn expresses confident faith in rising to watch and pray, trusting in God's promise of eternal life.

• CXXV: Matins—Monday

  The hymn expresses confident faith in God's cleansing and guidance, contrasting the darkness of night with the renewal of light.

• CXXVI: Matins—Tuesday

  The hymn emphasizes faith in the unseen ('By faith in what they do not see') as a central act of worship and trust in God's presence despite darkness.

• Matins—Wednesday

  The worshippers express faith by rising to confess and trusting in God's mercy despite their sins.

• Matins—Thursday

  The soul gropes in darkness for God, expressing a tension between seeking and not finding, yet trusting in the Redeemer's light.

• Matins—Friday

  Expresses trust in the Trinity's power to protect and purify during the night.

• CXXXIII: Lauds—Monday

  Faith is portrayed as a 'keen flame' and the 'cup of Heaven,' central to the believer's journey and the quenching of spiritual thirst.

• Lauds—Tuesday

  The call to awaken from sickly slumbers and embrace holiness underscores a renewal of faith and rejection of spiritual lethargy.

• CXXXV: Lauds—Wednesday

  The hymn expresses confident faith in Christ's power to dispel darkness and sin, contrasting with the haunting gloom that is cast away.

• Lauds—Friday

  The hymn prays for the root of faith to spread in a new heart, emphasizing reliance on divine grace to strengthen belief.

• Lauds—Saturday

  The faithful confession of sins and praise to the Trinity reflects a stance of faith overcoming the spectres of doubt and guilt.

• CXXXIX: Prime

  The prayer expresses confident faith in Christ's guidance and protection, while acknowledging the constant threat of sin and the foe, implying a struggle against doubt and temptation.

• CXL: Terce

  The prayer expresses confident faith in the Holy Spirit's presence and power to transform the believer.

• CXLII: None

  The prayer for grace and light in the face of decay and death expresses a steadfast faith in God's unchanging nature and the promise of resurrection.

• CXLIII: Vespers—Sunday

  The speaker expresses faith in God's mercy and the hope of Heaven, while acknowledging the peril of 'lawlessness and strife.'

• Compline

  The prayer expresses trust in divine protection against the uncertainties and spiritual dangers of the night.

• CLIV: The Transfiguration—Matins

  The hymn exhorts seekers to lift up their eyes to Christ, affirming faith in His eternal majesty and the fulfillment of prophecy.

• CLV: The Transfiguration—Lauds

  The hymn contrasts the 'gloom of guilt' with the light of Christ, emphasizing faith as the means to overcome spiritual anxiety.

• CLXII: The Queen of Seasons

  The poet's unwavering faith in Mary's singular perfection is expressed, contrasting with any possible doubt.

• St. Philip Neri in His Mission

  The poem contrasts the faithful hearts in the far North with the faithful mission in Rome, emphasizing steadfastness amid scarcity.

• The Dream of Gerontius

  Gerontius's firm belief in the Trinity and the Incarnation amid the terror of death, and the soul's trust in God's mercy despite the experience of judgment.

• § 1

  Gerontius oscillates between terror of annihilation and firm belief in the Trinity and redemption, highlighting the tension between doubt and faith.

• Endnotes

  The annotations highlight the ecstasy of faith, hope, and love in Gerontius's dying moments, as well as the liturgical prayers that express trust in God.