How much faith?

Monday, November 07, 2016

From the Gospel for Monday of the 32^nd Week of Ordinary Time:

“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” Luke 17:6

I don’t know about you, but apparently my faith is smaller than a mustard seed, because I am not yet at the point where I could go about uprooting trees and moving them around the earth.

Please notice, however, that I used an important little word in that last statement: yet.

Consider if you will that faith is on a continuum with total lack of faith on one end and extraordinary faith on the other end, the kind of faith that can move mountains. Where does your faith exist on that continuum? Remember also that faith is called a theological virtue; that is, a virtue which relates directly to God, a virtue which, according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “adapts man’s faculties for participation in the divine nature.” ¶ 1812.

And so once again we consider the overwhelmingly extensive quality of our destiny as children of God: that, given a gift by God, we are to share in His glory, His goodness, His truth and beauty, and His power. I can’t help but recall the great passage from the Letter to the Ephesians which we hear proclaimed on the Feast of the Ascension:

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead . . . (Ephesians 1: 17-20a  NRSV translation)

This is the best description I know of the ultimate power of the faith that he has poured into us. Thus I invite you to consider the following:

·         What is the difference between your life as it is now and your life back when your faith was weak or non –existent?

·         How many times and in what ways has the power of your faith made it possible for you to surmount challenges, difficulties or even sufferings in your life?

·         What can you imagine your life would be like if you cooperated with God’s efforts to give you an even stronger faith?

·         How does the faith you already have express itself in good works and deeds, for this is an essential requirement for faith to be proved genuine (Catechism, ¶ 1814-1815)

May the Lord continue to bless you and may He grant you an increase of faith!