Joel Berger
June 24, 2005

Men of Faith?

In the movie, The Mission, we see Fr. Gabriel and Rodrigo go two separate ways in dealing with the problem at hand. Does each one's decision show that they have faith or not at the end of the movie? I believe that at the end of the book both men still have faith they just show it in different ways.

I believe that Fr. Gabriel still was a man of Faith even after directly disobeying the orders of his superior, the Papal Delegate. When he defied the orders of his superiors I think that he felt a higher need to obey God by staying at the mission rather than leaving it like his superior told him to. He may have been excommunicated from the church but his faith still held strong. Some evidence to show that Fr. Gabriel still had faith was that he doubted. One of the four characteristics of faith was that there would be periods of doubt and struggle. His doubt was not that evident but he was worried right before the fighting started.

I also believe that Rodrigo also had faith when he died. Rodrigo was not a priest by nature, he was a soldier and that is how he died. He showed his faith in God in a different way when he died. Fr. Gabriel died holding the Blessed Sacrament, which is the way he wanted to die, Rodrigo died in battle, which is the way he wanted to die. Rodrigo died serving God in the best way he knew how, as a soldier defending His children. Rodrigo was a faithful person but in a different way. To be faithful you do not have to act like a priest like Fr. Gabriel, but in the best way you know how to express your love to God.