Another Practice Homily: On Faith!

I've been on a Summer Blog Vacation, but I'm still writing!  

Here's one from earlier in August (2013).  Enjoy!

Reflection on Sunday Readings – August 11, 2013 (Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time)

Wisdom 18: 6-9; Ps. 33: 1, 12, 18-19, 20-22; Hebrews 11: 1-2, 8-19; Luke 12: 32-48

On Faith!

Today’s second reading begins with a reassuring definition of the faith we profess: “Brothers and sisters: Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” Our Gospel lays out the challenge as we ‘must be prepared, for at an hour [we] do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” What is faith? Faith is a realization, and a hope, and a preparedness for the things we cannot expect. But faith is also a spirit of certainty and fidelity. It is thankful. It is mystery. It is surety!

Let there be no doubt here today that there is a certainty to God’s promise, for God does not lie. His divine light gives us more than just an answer. Natural reason uses logic to deduce, and needs proof to legitimize its answers. There is much about our faith that we can deduce, and prove. There are reams of evidence to back up all that we believe, and witnesses to the Truth that we profess, but God’s divine light demands trust, for it is more than an answer, it is “The Way.” The Catechism says that natural reason only confers the truth that the Divine continues to reveal. (CCC #157) This would say that our ability to reason, and deduce, and prove only comes about because God has provided us The Way to see His answer, and His Truth with certainty, even though we don’t know the outcome… We are called to Trust!

Faith is fidelity! Paul offers us the example of Abraham not for what he did, but because of his relationship and dedication to God, his Father. Abraham followed God’s call with no assurances that His promise would play out. His dedication was to the Lord, and his fidelity to their covenant was pure. The testing of our faith in prayer is similar in that there are no assurances. But in our prayer life we build a relationship with God, strengthening our fidelity to Him. We pray, we ask, we listen, and we wait for an outcome which is only God’s will. Which also leads us to celebrate that faith is thankful! This fidelity and relationship with God, combined with the trust we give Him grows into what the church calls a “filial boldness”, which is another way of saying that our relationship with God is strong and as Webster defines “of, relating to, or befitting a son or daughter!” We are God’s children, and just like Abraham, we too have a Father in heaven who promises us His fidelity, and His love forever. St. Paul adds that “because of [faith] the ancients were well attested”, that is, their example of fidelity and trust is worth following, for all things are possible for those who believe. So we must continue to grow in relationship with God, and to do that… We are called to Pray!

I’m sure we’re all familiar with the phrase, “it’s a mystery.” Well, faith IS a mystery, for the ways of God are unknown. Today’s Gospel likens it to a thief in the night. While I can think of better ways to describe our Lord, let us focus on the reality that “we do not know the time, nor the hour”, and we must always be prepared for the coming of the Lord. Does this mean death? Sure it does. Like last week’s parable of the man storing up his riches, the Gospel reminds us that it is very possible that “on this night, your life might be taken.” However, the mystery includes so much more than our ultimate journey. While the ways of God are unknown, they always prove to be amazing! St. Paul puts a lot of faith in God, and in the example of “the ancients”, or those who have come before us. Abraham and Sarah put their faith in the unknown outcomes of God’s promise, and they were rewarded with children and descendents, “as many as the stars in the sky”! The Israelites were freed from bondage, and called to follow God and Moses through the desert, trusting that the “promise land” was just over the next hill. In both cases, God’s children needed Him, and were nothing without Him. The catechism says that as we embrace the mystery of faith, we do so because as the childhood song says, we are weak, but He is strong.” Faith glories in weakness, so that through our weaknesses we are drawn to the Father through Christ’s power. (CCC #273) We are called to embrace our weakness, and enter into the unknown power of God!

Finally, faith is surety! If all things are possible with God, and the Son of Man is sure to come, then we must be ready! We must trust, and pray, and embrace our need for God, for He is the sure thing in the mystery of our lives. Like Abraham and Sarah, or Moses and the Israelites, or the people on the streets with nothing to eat… We cannot always predict outcomes, or prove all of the answers, but we need to be ready and expect something truly amazing! After all, faith is certainty, and fidelity, and thankful, and a mystery… But as Paul says,“[My friends]: Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” I’m sure of it!