Editor's Note   Fresh eyes of faith By Darcy L. Fargo

July 1, 2026

While I love sports and have been loosely following the World Cup, I’m practically obsessed with the news coverage and social media photos and videos showing visitors from other nations enjoying various aspects of life in the United States.

Some of the visitors seem amazed by the size of our big box stores. Others are fascinated by our highways, school buses, drink refills or the portions at our restaurants.

As I watched a few of those videos, I found myself thinking, “Really? That’s the thing that impressed you?”

Then it occurred to me: These visitors are seeing what’s normal to us with fresh eyes. They are amazed by things I barely notice anymore because I’ve seen them all my life – no fresh eyes here.

Similarly, I think it’s easy to become so familiar with our faith that we stop seeing how remarkable it is.

Many of us have heard the Gospel stories hundreds of times. We’ve prayed the same prayers for years. We know the responses at Mass. We know when to stand, sit and kneel. We know what happens next.

Those are good things. Familiarity means our faith has become part of our lives. But familiarity can also make us take things for granted.

We hear that God became man and lived among us. We hear that Christ died for us and rose from the dead. We hear that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist. We hear that the Creator of the universe knows us, loves us and wants a relationship with us.

Those are extraordinary realities, yet I know there are times when I hear them without really hearing them.

I wonder what it would be like to experience our faith with the perspective of someone encountering it for the first time.

What would surprise us? What would amaze us? What would leave us in awe?

We might finally see the gifts we’ve overlooked and remember the worth of those we take for granted.

As I’ve watched World Cup visitors experience things that seem ordinary to me, I’ve been praying for that same kind of fresh perspective. I’ve been praying for fresh eyes of faith.

Because Jesus is worth following closely.