Faith

Faith is the substance of things not seen but hoped for. The first theological virtue is a pure gift to each of us who have it and to others. We must not take it for granted but pray that it be increased in us and obtained by those who have it not or who reject it.

This is the essence of the Gospel message of Jesus to us today. Pray always and do not become weary. Even so Jesus Himself questions whether When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?

Faith is the beginning of eternal life. The Catechism of the Catholic Church in paragraph 163 tells us this, “Faith makes us taste in advance the light of the beatific vision, the goal of our journey here below. Then we shall see God ‘face to face’ ‘as He is’”. So faith is already the beginning of eternal life.

When we contemplate the blessings of faith even now, as if gazing at a reflection in a mirror, it is as if we already possessed the wonderful things which our faith assures us we shall one day enjoy.
An act of faith is the assent of the mind to what God has revealed. It is an act of the will which requires divine grace. Our faith is being tested by temptation and circumstances in our lives which are challenging and often difficult. When we come through these times successfully we are convinced that it was the Son of God, in whom we trusted, who has helped us.

Our prayer each moment should be one of thanksgiving and gratitude to God who loves us with an everlasting love. The 150 Psalms of the Old Testament are great prayers and helps to prayer in both times of joy and of testing.

The responsorial psalm 121 today is “Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. The Lord will guard you from all evil. He will guard you life. The Lord will guard your coming and your going, both now and forever.”

In between the reading from Exodus and the Gospel are the words of St. Paul in his second letter to Timothy. He begins “remain faithful to what you have learned and believed… The Scriptures which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”

Our Catholic faith is in the most Holy Trinity, three distinct persons in one God. This is a revealed truth, that God the Father sent God the Son, through whom all things were made, to earth to form the hypostatic union of God and man, to die on the cross with His arms extended in love to you and to me. To draw us to Himself, Jesus left us the Church to be a living sacrament directed by the third Person, the Holy Spirit who is also God. It is simple, it is not complicated. If we live in Christ by faith all the days of our lives, we will enjoy His presence for ever. And that reality begins now in our life of faith. In the Church which is Christs' mystical body. He is the head and we are the members. “Remain in me as I remain in you.”

In this world we have many things and people to distract us from worshiping Him who holds within Himself the “One thing necessary”, the word of God. For Jesus is the one word of God and as St. John tells us, “The word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

In the Gospel of Luke Jesus told His disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. The woman who wanted a decision from the unjust judge who was unwilling to render it to her. She persevered. Scripture says “She kept bothering him.” And because she kept bothering him, he decided to deliver a just decision for her. Jesus says, “Will not God then secure the rights of His chosen ones who call out to Him day and night?”

On Thursday of this past week we celebrated the feast of St. Luke the Evangelist, the author of today’s Gospel passage. He tells us about Jesus from His birth to His death on the cross outside the walls of Jerusalem.

Today’s second reading is from St. Paul’s second letter to Timothy at the end of which he relates his hardships and the defections among those he depended on in his missionary work, and most acutely was loneliness. This was thanks less work for the sake of the salvation of souls in what was then a pagan world. St. Paul had been converted by Christ and St. Luke learned about faith from him, the faith that would set men free.

In the first reading we see that the Amalekites were attacking Israel. Moses told Joshua to go out in the morning and engage the enemy. In our own spiritual battles we cannot retreat or surrender. But rather to engage the foe that seeks to overpower us. Moses said, “I will stand on the hill top with the staff of God in my hand.” As long as Moses arms were raised the Israelites had the advantage but when Moses let his arms fall the Amalekites had the advantage. Aaron and Hur stood on either side of Moses and held up his arms. Scripture says his arms remained firm till sun set and the enemy was defeated.

“Pray always without becoming weary.” Persevere in prayer and faith. Christ says, “He who endures to the end will be saved.”

When we meditate on the crucifix we see the Son of God with His arms outstretched in love to all mankind. Adam’s sin was inherited by the human race but Christ on the cross has emptied that human nature of all that is displeasing to God and invites us to live in His holiness henceforth to have faith in Him and what He was done through the power of the Most Holy Trinity.

As Moses secured victory for the Israelites so has Christ secured victory for us at of what seemed like defeat in the resurrection.

But it is only in faith in Jesus that we are saved for He is God and through Him all things were arranged and brought into being,. The purpose of our lives is to give glory to God and to enjoy the presence of the Holy Trinity for eternity.

In faith and in love and in prayer there is so much we can do for others and the world and not least of all ourselves. Our model is Jesus on the cross with His arms outstretched and lifted up. “When I am lifted up I will draw all things to myself.” It is in Him the victory will be won.