20190508
FACTORS
THAT ASSIST THE GROWTH OF FAITH
08 MAY, 2019,
Wednesday, 3rd Week of Easter
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour:
White.
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First reading
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Acts 8:1-8 ©
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They went from place to place, preaching
the Good News
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That day a bitter persecution started
against the church in Jerusalem, and everyone except the apostles fled to the
country districts of Judaea and Samaria.
There
were some devout people, however, who buried Stephen and made great mourning
for him.
Saul
then worked for the total destruction of the Church; he went from house to
house arresting both men and women and sending them to prison.
Those
who had escaped went from place to place preaching the Good News. One of them
was Philip who went to a Samaritan town and proclaimed the Christ to them. The
people united in welcoming the message Philip preached, either because they had
heard of the miracles he worked or because they saw them for themselves. There
were, for example, unclean spirits that came shrieking out of many who were
possessed, and several paralytics and cripples were cured. As a result there
was great rejoicing in that town.
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 65(66):1-7 ©
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Cry out with joy to God,
all the earth.
or
Alleluia!
Cry out with joy to God all the earth,
O sing to the glory of his
name.
O render him glorious praise.
Say to God: ‘How tremendous
your deeds!
Cry out with joy to God,
all the earth.
or
Alleluia!
Because of the greatness of your strength
your enemies cringe before
you.
Before you all the earth shall bow;
shall sing to you, sing to
your name!’
Cry out with joy to God,
all the earth.
or
Alleluia!
Come and see the works of God,
tremendous his deeds among
men.
He turned the sea into dry land,
they passed through the river
dry-shod.
Cry out with joy to God,
all the earth.
or
Alleluia!
Let our joy then be in him;
he rules for ever by his
might.
His eyes keep watch over the nations:
let rebels not rise against
him.
Cry out with joy to God,
all the earth.
or
Alleluia!
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Gospel Acclamation
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Jn10:27
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Alleluia, alleluia!
The sheep that belong to me listen to my
voice,
says the Lord,
I know them and they follow me.
Alleluia!
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Or:
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cf.Jn6:40
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Alleluia, alleluia!
It is my Father’s will, says the Lord,
that whoever believes in the Son shall
have eternal life,
and that I shall raise him up on the last
day.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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John 6:35-40 ©
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It is my Father's will that whoever sees
the Son should have eternal life
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Jesus said to the crowd:
‘I am the bread of life.
He who comes to me will never be hungry;
he who believes in me will never thirst.
But, as I have told you,
you can see me and still you do not
believe.
All that the Father gives me will come to
me,
and whoever comes to me I shall not turn
him away;
because I have come from heaven, not to do
my own will,
but to do the will of the one who sent me.
Now the will of him who sent me
is that I should lose nothing of all that
he has given to me,
and that I should raise it up on the last
day.
Yes, it is my Father’s will
that whoever sees the Son and believes in
him shall have eternal life,
and that I shall raise him up on the last
day.’
FACTORS THAT
ASSIST THE GROWTH OF FAITH
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ ACTS 8:1-8; PSALM 66:1-7; JOHn 6:35-40 ]
It is God’s desire to
save us all. This is what the
Lord says in the gospel. “All that the Father gives me will come to me,
and whoever comes to me I shall not turn him away; because I have come from
heaven, not to do my own will, but to do the will of the one who sent me. Now
the will of him who sent me is that I should lose nothing of all that he has
given to me, and that I should raise it up on the last day.” This is what
St Paul also wrote, “This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our
Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of
the truth.” (1 Tim 2:3f)
Salvation is purely the work of God and His graciousness.
But salvation, although
the pure grace of God, requires our human response in faith. “Yes, it is my Father’s will that
whoever sees the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and that I
shall raise him up on the last day.” It is faith in Jesus as the Son of
the Father who comes to show us the way to life that saves us. Jesus’
coming was to reveal the Father’s love for us. He was more than Moses who
gave them bread from heaven. The miracle of loaves that Jesus performed
earlier on not only showed that He was greater than Moses, but the giving of
the bread, although from the Father, was realized in Him. Hence, Jesus
not only gave us bread to nourish us but He is the Bread of Life Himself that
sustains us and gives us eternal life. “I am the bread of life. He who
comes to me will never be hungry; he who believes in me will never thirst.”
How can we help someone
to come to faith? Indeed,
there are many signs for faith if we are humble enough to ask for God’s grace
to recognize them. Jesus said, “But, as I have told you, you
can see me and still you do not believe.” The Jews saw the
miraculous sign in the multiplication of loaves. But they were not able
to believe in Jesus. They were still asking for signs to believe.
Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not
because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.” (Jn 6:26) “So they said to him, ‘What
sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What
work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the
wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’
Then Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you
the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from
heaven.” (Jn 6:30-32)
Indeed, many of us can see the miracles happening in our lives, yet we still do
not believe. We can see the signs but miss out on the significance.
This was why Emmanuel Kant wrote, “perception without conception is blind while
conception without perception is empty.
Humility is the
pre-requisite for faith. We read of Philip who went to preach to the
Samaritans. In a land where
the people had fallen into syncretism, incorporating the faith of the pagans,
indulging in occult practices and magic, dabbling with spirits, Philip showed
them that the Christian faith is not about the worship of spirits but faith in
Christ. As a consequence, “unclean spirits that came shrieking out of
many who were possessed, and several paralytics and cripples were cured. There
was great rejoicing in that town as a result.” They were humble enough to
abandon their pagan practices when they saw the miracles that Philip
performed. Even Simon the magician repented of his deceptive acts.
He was a sorcerer who practiced magic and misled the people into believing that
he was someone powerful. “After being baptized, he stayed constantly with
Philip and was amazed when he saw the signs and great miracles that took
place.” (Acts 8:10, 11, 13) So it is faith in Jesus that brought
about the miracles that give true liberation. Those who apparently do
good using the power of the evil spirits lend themselves only to possession.
Another way to inspire
faith is the witnessing of the disciples of Christ in the face of
persecution. We
read that during the persecution, when Saul “worked for the total destruction
of the Church…those who had escaped went from place to place preaching the Good
News.” Instead of being cowed by the persecution, they escaped in order
to spread the gospel to other parts of the country. This is the irony of
religious persecution. The more the enemies of the gospel sought to
stifle the truth, the further the good news spread. God used Saul as an
instrument to force the early Christians out of their comfortable niche they
created for themselves so that the gospel would not be confined to a small
little group of like-minded people. Jesus wanted the gospel to be
preached to all the nations.
That is why we should
never be afraid of persecution. In fact, the current scandals happening in the Church,
the confusion among our peoples, and the opposition and criticisms we receive
will help the Church to grow stronger, purer and wiser. What is
considered disastrous, if seen positively, can be a means for us to strengthen
our faith. Those who stand firm in the face of persecution are those who
truly have faith. Those who leave us are those whose faith is nominal and
weak in the first place. If we have faith in Jesus as our Lord and God,
and that He is with the Church that He founded and promised to be with her
until the end of time and that “the gates of Hades will not prevail against it”
(cf Mt 28:20; 16:18), then no matter what happens to the
Church, we will stand by her, defend her, purify her, strengthen her and not
desert her! Those who desert the Church simply show that their faith is
not founded on Christ but on the institution.
Of course, this is not
to say that the holiness of religious leaders is not an important factor in
growing the faith. Indeed,
the witnessing of the religious leaders was very critical for the disciples of
Christ. We read that when “a bitter persecution started against the
church in Jerusalem…everyone except the apostles fled to the country districts
of Judaea and Samaria.” The religious leaders did not flee from
persecution but stayed put to protect the faith and those who stayed
behind. It was important that the leaders were courageous in remaining
behind to provide stability to the Christians. This was what the Lord
said about the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. “The
hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I
am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father
knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.” (Jn 10:13-15) It is equally true today as
well. Very often, if the parish is no longer vibrant, it is not because
the people have no faith but they have lost their faith due to the fact that
they do not have a good shepherd to show the way. But if they have a
caring, selfless, hardworking, humble, passionate and collaborative leader, the
people will also be inspired to give themselves generously as well.
In the final analysis,
there is no way to grow in faith unless we come to Jesus, the bread of life. “I am the bread of life. He
who comes to me will never be hungry; he who believes in me will never
thirst.” Faith can grow to the extent we are united with Jesus in mind
and heart. Being in communion with Jesus is the key to remaining strong
in our faith. The Lord has made it clear to us, “Abide in me as I abide
in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the
vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.” (Jn 15:4) Unless we eat His flesh and drink His
blood, we have no share in the life of Christ and in His Church.
Therefore, to stay strong in the face of persecution and find
strength in Christian witnessing, we, like the early Christians, need to gather
together to celebrate the Eucharist, hear the Word of God, share our faith
stories, give testimonies on how God has been working in our lives, and give
praise to God together. Only by staying within the community of faith,
can our faith remain firm and strong even when the Church is under attack or
purification. “Let us hold fast to the
confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is
faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good
deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but
encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day
approaching.” (Heb 10:23-25)
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All
Rights Reserved
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