Episode 3275: Trusting God: Not False Promises but True Faith

October 29, 2025
Episode 878: St. Narcissus
2 years ago
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Book Recommendation of the Day
Uniformity with God’s Will by St. Alphonsus Liguori
• A short but profound treatise by a Doctor of the Church.
• St. Alphonsus explains that holiness consists precisely in aligning our will with God’s will, in joy and in suffering.
• Unlike self-help style “trust” messages, it calls for union with Christ Crucified, not comfort without the Cross.
Cardinal Cupich actually excommunicated himself if you take a closer look at one of the most decisive moments in Church history: the Council of Trent and its defense of the Holy Mass. In Session 22, Canon VI, the Council declared: “If anyone saith, that the canon of the mass contains errors; let him be anathema.”
This was not just a theological statement it was a line in the sand. The Council fathers knew the Roman Canon, handed down through tradition, was the unbroken heart of Catholic worship. To deny its validity was to separate oneself from the Church.
Fast-forward to our own times. Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago has become one of the most aggressive voices in restricting the Traditional Latin Mass, strictly enforcing Traditionis Custodes. His policies, critics argue, imply that the ancient Roman Rite is flawed, divisive, or even dangerous to the faith. But here lies the problem: if you say the Traditional Canon of the Mass is defective, you fall under the very condemnation the Council of Trent laid down centuries ago.
Cardinal Cupich’s actions amount to self excommunication, or what Trent calls being “anathema.” We’ll also clarify how this is a traditional Catholic critique, not an official Vatican judgment, and what it means for the faithful when a cardinal appears to contradict the timeless teaching of the Church.
Trusting God: Not False Promises but True Faith
In today’s digital world, we are constantly flooded with voices telling us how to find peace, happiness, and spiritual truth. Videos and lectures from popular spiritual teachers often encourage us to simply “trust the universe” or “let life find us.” At first glance, this sounds appealing. It seems wise, comforting, and even spiritual. But as Catholics, we must carefully discern: is this authentic trust in God, or is it a counterfeit version that leaves Christ out of the picture?
Today, we’ll contrast the Catholic understanding of trusting God with the modern, psychological, or mystical versions that circulate widely on social media.
Segment 1: The Allure of Mystical Vagueness
spiritual figures often suggest that life, destiny, or “the universe” will guide you when you’re ready. This puts the focus on a vague higher power without accountability, without commandments, and without the Cross. It offers comfort without conversion.
But our Faith teaches that true trust in God is not passive waiting for a video or a mystical sign it is rooted in revelation, obedience to His commandments, and confidence in His Providence. St. Augustine reminds us: “Our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee, O Lord.” Rest is found not in vague spiritual feelings but in the Person of Jesus Christ.
Segment 2: Catholic Trust vs. Psychological Tricks
The modern message says: “This video will appear when you’re ready.” This gives the illusion of destiny, but in reality, it is an algorithm feeding on your interests. It is not God’s providence but man’s technology masquerading as divine timing.
The Catholic teaching on Providence is very different. Christ tells us in Matthew 6:25–33 not to worry about tomorrow, for “your Heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” True trust means surrendering anxieties to the Father who governs every detail not surrendering to chance or algorithms.
Segment 3: The Cross and the Cost of True Trust
others often bypass suffering, presenting trust as a kind of effortless harmony with life. But Catholicism teaches that trusting God means embracing the Cross. Our Lord says in Luke 9:23: “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”
St. Francis de Sales reminds us: “The measure of Divine Providence acting on us is the degree of confidence we have in it.” That confidence is tested precisely when life is difficult. The saints did not trust because it was easy; they trusted when all human supports failed.
Segment 4: False Prophets vs. the Voice of the Church
The problem with these modern teachers is not always what they say, but what they leave out: Christ, the sacraments, and the Church. They offer a half-truth: a call to trust, but without the object of that trust being the Triune God. Without the Cross, without grace, without the sacramental life, their message becomes a counterfeit spirituality that soothes the ego but cannot save the soul.
St. Paul warned us in Galatians 1:8: “If anyone preach to you a gospel besides that which you have received, let him be anathema.” Catholics must therefore cling to the true Gospel, not watered-down imitations.
Conclusion
When you see a video telling you to “trust God,” ask yourself: is this the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God revealed in Christ Jesus, present in the Blessed Sacrament, ruling His Church through Tradition and Magisterium? Or is it a vague spirituality meant to make me feel good but not call me to repentance and holiness?
True trust in God means surrender to His will, fidelity to His commandments, and living in union with Him through the sacraments of the Church. That is the only trust that saves.

Epistle Reflection — Ephesians 5:15–21
"See therefore, brethren, how you walk circumspectly: not as unwise, but as wise; redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore become not unwise, but understanding what is the will of God. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is luxury; but be ye filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual canticles, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to God and the Father: being subject one to another in the fear of Christ."
St. Paul exhorts us to live wisely and redeem the time. The phrase “the days are evil” echoes as strongly in our own day as it did in the first century. How many waste hours in distractions, sins, and the false consolations of the world? The Apostle tells us instead to fill our hearts with prayer, song, and thanksgiving.
From a Traditional Catholic perspective, this passage reminds us of the necessity of ordering our lives to the sacred: the Mass, the Divine Office, the Rosary, and spiritual canticles. Paul contrasts drunkenness and excess with the true intoxication of the Holy Spirit. The Church Fathers often saw in this a warning against worldly attachments. St. John Chrysostom comments that being “filled with the Spirit” means allowing the grace of God to animate every action, not merely the hours of worship.
For us today, the call is clear: redeem the time. This means using each moment for holiness in family life, work, and above all in fidelity to Tradition. The modern Church has often squandered time in confusion and compromise, but the faithful remnant must heed Paul’s counsel and walk wisely.
Gospel Reflection — John 4:46–53
"At that time there was a certain ruler, whose son was sick at Capharnaum. He, having heard that Jesus was come from Judea into Galilee, went to Him, and prayed Him to come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death. Jesus therefore said to him: Unless you see signs and wonders, you believe not. The ruler saith to Him: Lord, come down before my son die. Jesus saith to him: Go thy way; thy son liveth. The man believed the word which Jesus said to him, and went his way. And as he was going down, his servants met him: and they brought word, saying, that his son lived. He inquired therefore of them the hour wherein he grew better. And they said to him: Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. The father therefore knew that it was at the same hour that Jesus said to him: Thy son liveth; and himself believed, and his whole house."
This Gospel reveals the power of faith without seeing. The nobleman asks Christ to come physically, but Christ instead gives a word: “Thy son liveth.” The miracle occurs not by physical presence, but by the power of His divine word.
Here, the Fathers saw an anticipation of the sacraments. Christ is not seen, but His word is efficacious. In the Holy Mass, the priest repeats the words of Christ: “This is My Body… This is My Blood.” We do not see Christ with our eyes, but faith assures us He is truly present.
The nobleman’s faith grows step by step. At first, he wants signs. Then he obeys the word. Finally, he believes and his whole household follows him. This is a call to fathers and leaders in every age: to lead by faith, to trust the word of Christ, and to bring their families into belief.
How fitting for our own time, when many Catholics demand novelty, change, or “proof” in the form of worldly relevance. The Traditional Catholic, like the nobleman, trusts the word of Christ the word of eternal truth, handed down through the Church’s Tradition, not subject to the shifting spirit of the age.
Feast of St. Narcissus of Jerusalem
Today we also honor St. Narcissus, the 30th bishop of Jerusalem, who lived into his 100s. Despite slanders and false accusations brought against him, he endured with patience, withdrew for a time into solitude, and later returned to shepherd his flock with even greater zeal. His perseverance reminds us of Christ’s words: “Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you… for great is your reward in heaven” (Matt. 5:11–12).
In our day, many traditional Catholics endure calumny, misunderstanding, and even exile within their own parishes. St. Narcissus teaches us to endure with faith, trusting that God vindicates His servants and that fidelity outlasts falsehood.
Conclusion & Prayer
Let us close with prayer:
O Lord Jesus Christ, who strengthened the faith of the nobleman and healed his son by the power of Thy word, grant us the grace to trust Thee without wavering, to redeem the time in holiness, and to endure patiently the trials of this life. By the intercession of St. Narcissus of Jerusalem, may we remain steadfast in Tradition and in fidelity to Thy Church. Fill our hearts with psalms and hymns, and make our lives a continual offering of thanksgiving. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.