The concept of faith is exceptional. For any man to place his faith in something or someone else than himself requires trust, love, and often fear. Fear motivates a man from the deepest reaches of his being, for what he believes in can be so condensed with righteousness and glory that it seems to have the power to explode in the conscious mind.

The concept of belief is frightening, too, but can lead to such glories never known by man. It may mean life or death. Rich or poor. Feast or famine. But a truly concrete belief-one that will not be shaken under the duress of pressure or friction-will lead a man on the road to discipline and dedicated work towards his last days. His belief may or may not be accepted by others but it is a belief, nonetheless, and more powerful than any hope, or inkling, or other passing thought in a congested daydream of regret and despair.

The Catholic Church offers its followers a path to self-realization and reconciliation through such means as The Ten Commandments, The Seven Sacraments, and Holy Communion to name a few. It is possible that following these rites and rituals will lead to inner peace and harmony. But is there more? Were these rites established so many years ago to create a controlling force in the lives of men, threatening hell if they were not followed? Or are they simply a means to establish discipline in a man's life? It is possible that these rites will not guarantee an afterlife of everlasting peace in distant heavens, but the very act of doing them with perfect focus and concentration is the true reward-that feeling of centered bliss-and will create heaven on earth. For if heaven is the ideal, where pain and disharmony are wiped clean from the record, isn't that what discipline, concentration, and focus allow the body to feel, here and now, on an imperfect and disorderly earth?

Peace and salvation are said to come from within. Staying faithful to your beliefs will create that fortress of unshakable discipline that no tempest or quake or underworld beast can disturb. As the poet Charles Bukowski wrote, "You will ride life straight to perfect laughter. It's the only good fight there is."

Learn more about this author, Gerald Yuscavage.
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