20211016 HOW DEEP IS YOUR FAITH?
16 October, 2021, Saturday, 28th Week, Ordinary Time
First reading |
Romans 4:13,16-18 © |
Abraham hoped and believed and became the father of many nations
The promise of inheriting the world was not made to Abraham and his descendants on account of any law but on account of the righteousness which consists in faith. That is why what fulfils the promise depends on faith, so that it may be a free gift and be available to all of Abraham’s descendants, not only those who belong to the Law but also those who belong to the faith of Abraham who is the father of all of us. As scripture says: I have made you the ancestor of many nations – Abraham is our father in the eyes of God, in whom he put his faith, and who brings the dead to life and calls into being what does not exist.
Though it seemed Abraham’s hope could not be fulfilled, he hoped and he believed, and through doing so he did become the father of many nations exactly as he had been promised: Your descendants will be as many as the stars.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 104(105):6-9,42-43 © |
The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or
Alleluia!
O children of Abraham, his servant,
O sons of the Jacob he chose.
He, the Lord, is our God:
his judgements prevail in all the earth.
The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or
Alleluia!
He remembers his covenant for ever,
his promise for a thousand generations,
the covenant he made with Abraham,
the oath he swore to Isaac.
The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or
Alleluia!
For he remembered his holy word,
which he gave to Abraham his servant.
So he brought out his people with joy,
his chosen ones with shouts of rejoicing.
The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation | 1S3:9,Jn6:68 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Speak, Lord, your servant is listening:
you have the message of eternal life.
Alleluia!
Or: | Jn15:26,27 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Spirit of truth will be my witness;
and you too will be my witnesses.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 12:8-12 © |
If you declare yourselves for me, I will declare myself for you
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘I tell you, if anyone openly declares himself for me in the presence of men, the Son of Man will declare himself for him in the presence of the angels. But the man who disowns me in the presence of men will be disowned in the presence of God’s angels.
‘Everyone who says a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
‘When they take you before synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how to defend yourselves or what to say, because when the time comes, the Holy Spirit will teach you what you must say.’
HOW DEEP IS YOUR FAITH?
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Rom 4:13.16-18; Ps 105:6-9,42-43; Lk 12:8-12 ]
In the first reading, St Paul underscores that it was the faith of Abraham that the promise made to him was fulfilled. “The promise of inheriting the world was not made to Abraham and his descendants on account of any law but on account of the righteousness which consists in faith.” The grace of God is always unmerited. God gives freely to those who have faith in Him. It was not through the observance of the law that Abraham was blessed. In fact, the law was not yet given until 430 years later, as St Paul wrote in his letter to the Galatians. For if the inheritance comes from the law, it no longer comes from the promise; but God granted it to Abraham through the promise. (Gal 3:17f)
This is why St Paul said one does not need to belong to the Jewish race to be blessed by God. It is given to those who have faith in Him just as in the case of Abraham. For how could Abraham be the father of all nations unless we share the same faith of Abraham. St Paul reiterates, “what fulfils the promise depends on faith, so that it may be a free gift and be available to all of Abraham’s descendants, not only those who belong to the Law but also those who belong to the faith of Abraham who is the father of all of us. As scripture says: I have made you the ancestor of many nations – Abraham is our father in the eyes of God, in whom he put his faith, and who brings the dead to life and calls into being what does not exist.”
Faith requires us to keep on hoping and believing without ever giving up even in the face of the impossible. That was the faith of Abraham. God made him two unbelievable promises, namely that he and Sarah would conceive a son; and that he would be the father of a multitude of nations. The first promise was biologically impossible as Sarah was past child-bearing age, being already 90 years old and Abraham was 100 years old, in other words, impotent. It would be a joke to believe that it could happen. That was why Sarah laughed when the three messengers of God told Abraham that his wife would have a son. (Gn 18:9-15) It was too good to be true. But the other promise of being a father to many nations was also inconceivable, for it was too remote. Yet St Paul wrote, “Though it seemed Abraham’s hope could not be fulfilled, he hoped and he believed, and through doing so he did become the father of many nations exactly as he had been promised: Your descendants will be as many as the stars.” Indeed, faith, as the psalmist says, is to believe that God will always be faithful to His promise. “He remembers his covenant for ever, his promise for a thousand generations, the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac. For he remembered his holy word, which he gave to Abraham his servant. So he brought out his people with joy, his chosen ones with shouts of rejoicing.”
If we want to enjoy the blessings given to Abraham, we too are called to place our faith in God. But the truth is that our faith is weak. In a world of science and technology, we place our faith more in human ingenuity than faith in the power of God to intervene. We are impatient with the slow and sometimes apparent lack of response from God. We do not have the faith to believe in what we cannot see. The letter to the Hebrews noted, “All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.” (Heb 11:13-16) Faith, therefore, enables us to hope not just for this life but also in the life that is to come. Some of the things we prayed for but did not happen in our time will happen many years down the road or come to fulfilment in the next life. What is important is that we must continue to have faith that God is at work in our lives.
The mark of an authentic faith is one of confession. Jesus said to His disciples, “I tell you, if anyone openly declares himself for me in the presence of men, the Son of Man will declare himself for him in the presence of God’s angels. But the man who disowns me in the presence of men will be disowned in the presence of God’s angels.” When we have faith in God, we will verbalize it and we will not be ashamed to confess what is in our hearts on our lips. Jesus had a deep faith in His Father and was one with Him. He could not stop proclaiming the Father’s love and mercy for us, because He experienced Him as such. Clearly, if we do not seek to confess our faith in Christ, it means that we are not too convinced of His love and importance to us in our lives. If Jesus is important to us, we will talk about Him just as parents love to talk about their children; pet-lovers like to talk about their pets; and businessmen like to talk about their products. The more we speak about our Lord, the stronger our faith becomes, for we deepen our understanding and reinforce our faith through sharing.
If we are ashamed of Jesus, it is because our faith is an intellectual faith and not a heart-felt belief. Of course, we could also be afraid that we would be challenged in what we say. But surely, if that is our experience of God, and not just an intellectual discourse, such a sharing of experience cannot be challenged. It remains a gift, a sharing which one can accept or reject. This is why the Lord assured His disciples, “When they take you before synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how to defend yourselves or what to say, because when the time comes, the Holy Spirit will teach you what you must say.” Jesus is not saying that we do not need to prepare our homily or a teaching on our faith. But He is saying that when it comes to personal witnessing, we just have to speak from the depths of our heart. The Spirit who convicts our hearts and enlightens our mind will give us the words to defend what we say and the power to say it clearly. This was what happened to the uneducated apostles when they announced the Kerygma in front of the Sanhedrin; those who were highly educated in the Law and in the scriptures. “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus. When they saw the man who had been cured standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition.” (Acts 4:13f)
Whether people will accept our testimony will depend on the person’s level of openness and receptivity. As Jesus said, there will be some who would reject whatever we say. “‘Everyone who says a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.” There are some who might disagree with what we say, but so long as they are receptive and open, they will come to faith gradually. Some could be sceptical because of negative experiences with Christians or faith believers. They might criticize Christians for their hypocritical behaviour. This is acceptable because they are searching and verifying the truth of our beliefs. But it is a different thing when one blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, which is to close one’s mind and heart to the gospel. For such a person, even God cannot save. God will continue to grant the person the grace to attract him to His Son. Jesus makes it clear that “no one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me.” (Jn 6:44) The obstacle is on man’s side because he might not want to believe.
So today, let us develop our relationship with God in faith and trust. We need to speak to Him as we speak to a friend. If our relationship with God is one of trust and intimacy, like a child, then we can more easily surrender our lives to Him. We walk in faith, one day at a time, not knowing exactly what is ahead of us. But we take confidence in the plans He has for us, believing that since He has appointed us for the task, He will see it through somehow and at a time when we least expect. As Jeremiah said, “I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” (cf Jer 29:11-14) So let us walk in faith, cooperate with His plans, do our best and surrender the outcomes to the Lord. With the faith of Habakkuk, we say, “Though the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit is on the vines; though the produce of the olive fails, and the fields yield no food; though the flock is cut off from the fold, and there is no herd in the stalls yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the God of my salvation.” (Hab 3:17-18)
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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