20150530 BASIS OF FAITH RESTS ON THE AUTHORITY OF GOD WHO REVEALS

20150530 BASIS OF FAITH RESTS ON THE AUTHORITY OF GOD WHO REVEALS

Readings at Mass

First reading

Ecclesiasticus 51:17-27 ©

I will thank you and praise you,

  and bless the name of the Lord.

When I was still a youth, before I went travelling,

  in my prayers I asked outright for wisdom.

Outside the sanctuary I would pray for her,

  and to the last I will continue to seek her.

From her blossoming to the ripening of her grape

  my heart has taken its delight in her.

My foot has pursued a straight path,

  I have been following her steps ever since my youth.

By bowing my ear a little I have received her,

  and have found much instruction.

Thanks to her I have advanced;

  the glory be to him who has given me wisdom!

For I am determined to put her into practice,

  I have earnestly pursued what is good, I will not be put to shame.

My soul has fought to possess her,

  I have been scrupulous in keeping the Law;

I have stretched out my hands to heaven

  and bewailed my ignorance of her;

I have directed my soul towards her,

  and in purity have found her.

Psalm

Psalm 18:8-11 ©

The precepts of the Lord gladden the heart.

The law of the Lord is perfect,

  it revives the soul.

The rule of the Lord is to be trusted,

  it gives wisdom to the simple.

The precepts of the Lord gladden the heart.

The precepts of the Lord are right,

  they gladden the heart.

The command of the Lord is clear,

  it gives light to the eyes.

The precepts of the Lord gladden the heart.

The fear of the Lord is holy,

  abiding for ever.

The decrees of the Lord are truth

  and all of them just.

The precepts of the Lord gladden the heart.

They are more to be desired than gold,

  than the purest of gold

and sweeter are they than honey,

  than honey from the comb.

The precepts of the Lord gladden the heart.

Gospel Acclamation

1P1:25

Alleluia, alleluia!

The word of the Lord remains for ever:

What is this word?

It is the Good News that has been brought to you.

Alleluia!

Or	cf.Col3:16a,17

Alleluia, alleluia!

Let the message of Christ, in all its richness,

find a home with you;

through him give thanks to God the Father.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Mark 11:27-33 ©

Jesus and his disciples came to Jerusalem, and as Jesus was walking in the Temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, and they said to him, ‘What authority have you for acting like this? Or who gave you authority to do these things?’ Jesus said to them, ‘I will ask you a question, only one; answer me and I will tell you my authority for acting like this. John’s baptism: did it come from heaven, or from man? Answer me that.’ And they argued it out this way among themselves: ‘If we say from heaven, he will say, “Then why did you refuse to believe him?” But dare we say from man?’ – they had the people to fear, for everyone held that John was a real prophet. So their reply to Jesus was, ‘We do not know.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Nor will I tell you my authority for acting like this.’

BASIS OF FAITH RESTS ON THE AUTHORITY OF GOD WHO REVEALS

SCRIPTURE READINGS: SIRACH 51:17 – 27; MARK 11:27 – 33

What is the basis of our Christian belief in Christ?  Why do we believe in Christ and His Church?  Our faith surely cannot be irrational.  But if it is based on reason, then this is no longer faith but a proven conclusion.  The truth is that faith is not based on mere reason alone, for faith in God transcends natural reason, even if it is not against reason.

So what is the basis of faith?  It is founded on the authority of God who reveals.  That is to say, we believe simply because God is the one who revealed it.  But is such a faith justifiable? Certainly! Faith founded on the authority of someone is applicable to some extent even in daily living and in the world of science.  The fact remains that not everything can be proven to our satisfaction.  For example, most of us do not doubt the facts presented by experts in their field of study.  If we rely on their research and findings, it is because we believe on the basis of their authority, even when these experts often cannot agree among themselves, sometimes even reversing or contradicting their earlier theories.  Hence, although we think their judgments are reliable, we cannot be absolutely certain and therefore cannot give them absolute faith.

Our faith in the authority of someone is not simply without justification. Very often we can verify for ourselves through experiencing what we believe.  In such a situation, the credibility of our belief is the consequence of our experience itself.

What about faith in God or in the Church?  For matters of faith in God, because God Himself is the One who reveals, we do not doubt His integrity and His truths. If we can trust in the authority of men, how much more can we trust in the authority of God!  Our faith therefore principally rests on the authority of God who has spoken through His prophets and His Son Jesus, and now through His apostles and His successors.

But why should we believe in them?  In asking this question, we are asking what reasons or motives do we have in order to believe in them without appearing to be naïve or credulous.   Hence, we need the preambles or motives for credibility.  We need signs to justify our assent in faith to their words.  Indeed, this was certainly the case of John the Baptist.  The people recognized him as being sent by God.   John the Baptist himself authenticated his mission by his lifestyle and his proclamation of truth.  Truly, if the Jewish leaders were afraid of the people, it was because they knew that the people instinctively believed in John the Baptist and his words because of the signs he gave.  Similarly too, in John’s gospel, the Book of Signs speaks of Jesus manifesting the seven signs which are invitations to faith in Him as the One sent by the Father. The ultimate sign of course, was the Book of Glory, that is, His passion, death and resurrection.

Hence, if we can make an act of faith in Jesus through acceptance of the apostolic faith transmitted to us in the Church today, it is simply because they have been sent by God!  In the history of salvation, God first sent His prophets, culminating in the sending of His only Son, the Word made flesh. The apostles continued to testify to this truth, and in turn their appointed successors.  If we have confidence in them, it is because of the signs they manifested in their own lives, the truth of their teaching, the miracles, the force of conviction in their message, and most of all, their transformed lives, ever ready to die for what they believed.  As for our faith in the Church, it is the unity, the permanence and holiness of the Church over time that gives us the confidence that this is the Church established by Christ and safeguarded by Him for the purpose of leading men to salvation.

As a consequence, our faith is certain as well, because this certainty rests on God’s authority. Such faith is not blind but reasonable, since it rests on external motives for belief.  We know we are not deceived because God cannot deceive us.  This certitude is more than just belief in the truths revealed, but rooted in the experience of God Himself.

So what prevented the Jewish authorities from believing and accepting Jesus or John the Baptist?  The fact remains that faith, although reasonable, cannot be reasoned.  The motives for the credibility of faith can only give us firm persuasion through the impulse of grace moving the will in asking the intellect to assent to the good which is perceived as truth.  In the final analysis, one must make the act of faith freely without coercion.  Hence, faith, although certain, is reasonable and yet free, since it is not based on proof.

Consequently, grace is needed to move from credibility to credentity.  That is to say, from the signs alone, we need the grace of God to give us that inner word to understand the external signs and the outward proclamation of the truth.  Without grace, the illumination of the Holy Spirit, the proclaimed words remain external to us in an intellectual way, without moving the will to respond.  So the Holy Spirit as the grace of God is necessary for us to make the link between the exterior word and the inner word.  The inward light of grace enables us to see the signs as a call to faith.  When that happens, then faith is effected.  As such, because faith is dependent on grace, it is also a gift from the Lord.

Thus, we are exhorted to take heed of the advice of the author of Ecclesiasticus to pray for the gift of wisdom at every stage in our lives, whether we are young or old.  We must continue to seek the wisdom of God which is given to us through the Holy Spirit.   Indeed, faith requires the wisdom that comes from God.  The truth of God is grasped by faith, aided by reason.

Finally, since faith is free, it requires our cooperation with the grace of God. Just as a man can lose his faith by neglecting it, so too, a man can develop and perfect his faith by persevering in the graces he has received.  We who have received the gift of faith must therefore be responsible in developing this faith, by continuing to hear the external word and growing in personal relationship and love for the Lord.

What do all these mean for us?  It means that because the foundation of faith lies in trust in the authority of God, in our formation, we must never put the content of faith as primary.  Rather, what is primary in faith is that we believe in God who has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ.  Then secondarily, it is important to grow in the content of faith in order that we can give an account for what we believe, especially to non-believers. However the priority lies in the act of faith in God. Finally because personal faith in God is a grace, this personal relationship can only be cultivated through prayer.  Faith is ultimately dependent on the depth and quality of our prayer.

Written by The Most Rev William Goh

Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore

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