Faith is often unhelpfully talked about as the opposite of reason when it comes to how we form our beliefs. Reason is defined as using facts, observations or arguments to establish the truth of a matter. Faith, on the other hand, is caricatured as forming beliefs without evidence; yet this isn’t the kind of faith we are exploring here.  

Not that there's anything wrong with reason. Reason is good; it informs our understanding of the world and leads to the development of what we can accomplish for the betterment of humanity and the world in which we live. Human beings use reason to seek understanding of ourselves, of the universe and to look for meaning and purpose.  

The truth is that both scientific reason and religious faith affirm that the search for meaning and the formation of any complete world view must sit at the edge of provable things.

We can be grateful that the sciences provide facts about the cosmic past, or the chemical makeup of the universe, or the inner workings of living things. However, we need some kind of belief about these facts beyond what is measurable. We need to know that they are good, that they help us to thrive, and have their cause in a total and self-giving love. 

Catholic Faith isn't a suspension of reason, but a choice to believe that all the beautiful and complex systems that make up creation are the free gift of a loving God, and that we have a purpose: to love each other and the world as God loves us. 

"You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You." St. Augustine