I remember in studying theology, we spoke about how so many of the things that we know about God had to be revealed to us, and we trust that they are true and we can safely believe in the things that He has revealed because of what we call — and something that’s branded in theology as — motives of credibility. In Latin: motiva credibilitatis. These are signs or reasons that make the act of faith reasonable and trustworthy, and at the same time not forced. They are not proofs in the strict scientific sense, but rational supports that make it credible to believe in divine revelation.
If you walked out to your car in the morning and saw that all the windows were broken, you would have reasonable grounds to believe that it was caused by a human being, that somebody tried to break in. It wasn’t some random hailstorm that only affected your car. You deduce things through reason. And the same thing goes with our belief in God. Our belief is not a blind leap into the unknown or the darkness, but rather trusting in the God who has proved Himself to us over and over again.
Examples of these motives of credibility in the Christian tradition normally include things like miracles — signs that surpass human power and point to divine action. When Jesus walked on the waters, entered the boat, and calmed the wind and the sea, the apostles were shocked and asked, “Who is this, that even the wind and the seas obey him?” Jesus said, “If you do not believe my words, believe the works that you see.” The miracles are motives of credibility. Jesus says, in effect, “Believe because I’m showing you. I’m giving you rational grounds for trusting in me.”
Then there are prophecies that were fulfilled, showing God’s beautiful plan unfolding gradually through time in a way that only He can harmonize. There is the sublime nature and coherence of the Gospel message itself. When we read the Gospel openly, it’s difficult to remain indifferent. It speaks to the raw reality of human life — its highs and lows — and how God is with us through it all.
We also have the witness of the martyrs and the saints, and the extraordinary things God worked in their lives. For example, the stigmata of Padre Pio: supernatural wounds that appeared through divine intervention and disappeared completely at his death without scar tissue. These point to the divine and give us rational grounds for belief.
Another sign is the enduring life and holiness of the Church. How could this Church, made up of flawed and sinful people, have survived storms and scandals for generations if it were not truly founded by Christ? There is also personal and communal transformation — moments we know God has had a hand in. I think of my own car accidents: in both cases, prayer was involved. People were praying for me, or I was praying myself, and I walked out unscathed. Once, even the other passenger in a completely crushed vehicle walked out without a scratch. That is a personal motive of credibility.
Saint Paul, in today’s first reading, speaks from that perspective. He himself had seen the Lord — the same Lord he had once thought to be a fraud. Christ appeared to him, struck him blind, and healed him three days later. That personal encounter became a powerful motive of credibility that fueled his zeal and faith.
Paul also recalls Abraham, who learned to trust in God through his experiences. God spoke to him, gave him Isaac despite Sarah’s barrenness, and confirmed His promises over time. Abraham learned to place his trust more in God than in himself. This is what Saint Paul is saying: we rely more on God’s faithfulness than on our own abilities.
In today’s Gospel, we are reminded of the rich man who placed his trust in his wealth. Instead of sharing with the poor, he built bigger barns to store his excess, saying to himself, “Rest, eat, be merry.” But God says to him, “You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you. And the things you have prepared — to whom will they belong?” Jesus concludes, “Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself, but is not rich in what matters to God.”
My brothers and sisters, what are your motives of credibility? I’m sure that if I sat down with each one of you, you’d have many instances in which God has shown you that you can trust Him. And when you do, beautiful and amazing things are wrought in your life.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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