20240212 FAITH SEEKING UNDERSTANDING
First reading | James 1:1-11 © |
Your faith is put to the test so that your patience may make you complete
From James, servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. Greetings to the twelve tribes of the Dispersion.
My brothers, you will always have your trials but, when they come, try to treat them as a happy privilege; you understand that your faith is only put to the test to make you patient, but patience too is to have its practical results so that you will become fully-developed, complete, with nothing missing.
If there is any one of you who needs wisdom, he must ask God, who gives to all freely and ungrudgingly; it will be given to him. But he must ask with faith, and no trace of doubt, because a person who has doubts is like the waves thrown up in the sea when the wind drives. That sort of person, in two minds, wavering between going different ways, must not expect that the Lord will give him anything.
It is right for the poor brother to be proud of his high rank, and the rich one to be thankful that he has been humbled, because riches last no longer than the flowers in the grass; the scorching sun comes up, and the grass withers, the flower falls; what looked so beautiful now disappears. It is the same with the rich man: his business goes on; he himself perishes.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 118(119):67-68,71-72,75-76 © |
Let your love come to me and I shall live.
Before I was afflicted I strayed
but now I keep your word.
You are good and your deeds are good;
teach me your statutes.
Let your love come to me and I shall live.
It was good for me to be afflicted,
to learn your statutes.
The law from your mouth means more to me
than silver and gold.
Let your love come to me and I shall live.
Lord, I know that your decrees are right,
that you afflicted me justly.
Let your love be ready to console me
by your promise to your servant.
Let your love come to me and I shall live.
Gospel Acclamation | Ps94:8 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Harden not your hearts today,
but listen to the voice of the Lord.
Alleluia!
Or: | Jn14:6 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, says the Lord;
No one can come to the Father except through me.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Mark 8:11-13 © |
No sign shall be given to this generation
The Pharisees came up and started a discussion with Jesus; they demanded of him a sign from heaven, to test him. And with a sigh that came straight from the heart he said, ‘Why does this generation demand a sign? I tell you solemnly, no sign shall be given to this generation.’ And leaving them again and re-embarking, he went away to the opposite shore.
FAITH SEEKING UNDERSTANDING
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [JAMES 1:1-11; PS 119:67-68,71-72,75-76; MK 8:11-13]
In today’s gospel text, the Pharisees demanded a sign from heaven to test Jesus. With a sigh that came straight from His heart, the Lord said, “Why does this generation demand a sign? I tell you solemnly, no sign shall be given to this generation.” We should not misread this text that the Lord forbids us to ask for signs for confirmation of God’s will and plan for our lives. Indeed, reading the signs of the time is part of this discernment process. All through the ages, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Gideon and the prophets asked for a sign to confirm that it was indeed the Lord speaking to them.
However, in the case of the Pharisees, it was not that they were short of signs. In fact, Jesus had given many signs. Earlier on, he had healed the Gerasene Demoniac. He restored the daughter of Jairus back to life and healed a woman suffering from haemorrhage. He fed the five thousand, walked on the water and healed many who were sick, including the daughter of the Syrophoenician woman and a deaf man in the region of the Decapolis. (Mk 5-7) Just preceding the demand of a sign from Jesus, He had fed the Four Thousand with just seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. (Mk 8:1-10) Indeed, they had more than enough signs from the Lord to authenticate His authority.
It was their hardness of heart. They were not asking for another spectacular sign to confirm their faith. They were just testing Jesus, as the gospel said, for Jesus to prove Himself. But Jesus was not interested in proving Himself. He did not need to prove Himself through spectacular means, which the Devil suggested right at the beginning of His ministry – to throw Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple or to change stone into bread. Jesus was not proclaiming Himself but the reign of God’s kingdom through His words and works of mercy, reconciling sinners back to God, healing the sick and delivering those who were under the bondage of the Evil One. Hence, without even wanting to argue with them, the gospel said He left them again and went away to the opposite shore.
What is the right disposition to faith? First and foremost, we must have a docile heart. We must believe based on the signs of credibility that we already have. This is what St James urged the Christians. “If there is any one of you who needs wisdom, he must ask God, who gives to all freely and ungrudgingly; it will be given to him. But he must ask with faith, and no trace of doubt, because a person who has doubts is like the waves thrown up in the sea when the wind drives. That sort of person, in two minds, wavering between going different ways, must not expect that the Lord will give him anything.” When we pray with faith, God will give us the wisdom to discern the knowledge that we have based on human understanding from the evidence around us.
In fact, theology is faith seeking understanding. Faith is the presupposition. But this faith must and can grow through further understanding. It is right that we seek to purify and deepen our faith further by asking questions and reflection through the means made available to us, namely, the scriptures, the events surrounding our Lord, the testimonies of those who have faith, the study of church fathers, the teaching of the magisterium and, most of all, through prayer and worship where we encounter Him deeply. So we must continue to deepen our understanding of the Word of God and the way God reveals Himself in history and in our lives.
This include the trials in our lives as well. We all have our crosses in life just as the Lord had His. No one is exempted from the trials of life. Each one of us have our own crosses to carry. Some crosses are overwhelmingly heavy. We empathize with those parents who have to look after their mentally and physically- challenged children, and children who have to care for their sick and demented elderly. Some have to manage their own poor health as well. Some are out of job and in financial difficulties. Many are in war zone territories, defenceless and helpless when political leaders turn a blind eye to their innocent suffering. Most cannot afford medical treatment. Indeed, for those who are suffering, we often question God, why me? Why is God so unfair to us? Why is it that others have a better life than us? And we find it difficult to believe in a loving God because of suffering, tragedy, poverty and injustices.
This is where we are called to exercise holy patience, as St James exhorts us. We need to place our faith in the Lord that even though all these trials we go through might kill us physically, but they will not destroy our souls. St James wrote, “My brothers, you will always have your trials but, when they come, try to treat them as a happy privilege; you understand that your faith is only put to the test to make you patient, but patience too is to have it practical results so that you will become fully-developed, complete, with nothing missing.” We must use the trials in life to help us to grow in faith by surrendering our lives to Him. When the situation is beyond our control, we can only do what we can and pray to God to send His angels to help us. Through a persevering faith in God, the trials can only make us stronger, not weaker. Truly, all great men and women have gone through great trials in life before they became great. Great men and women do not come from those who do not face up to the trials of life.
We must avoid escapism from the trials of life. Today, this is what is happening. Many are giving up the faith because they find the demands of scripture difficult to accept. G.K. Chesterton remarked, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.” Some liberal Christians are trying to change the scriptures, the Word of God, the truth, to fit their ignorant lifestyles, suited to their personal preferences, just as what the Devil advised Jesus at the onset of His ministry. But there is no easy way. We must not be deceived into thinking that the easy way is God’s way. On the contrary, the Lord said, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Mt 7:13f)
St James warns us all about such deceptive ways of the world. “It is right for the poor brother to be proud of his high rank, and the rich one to be thankful that he has been humbled, because riches last no longer than the flowers in the grass; the scorching sun comes up, and the grass withers, the flower falls; what looked so beautiful now disappears. It is the same with the rich man: his business goes on; he himself perishes.” Indeed, riches and power do not last forever. They come and go like flowers in the field. Wealth, fame, power, and especially health, is never predictable. A time will come when we can no longer walk, eat well, see, hear and even remember anything. What is the use of our wealth, our position and our fame? They will be forgotten in no time. We will not be able to enjoy them but only to leave to others – often ingrates, who will inherit them simply because they are associated to us by biological ties. Sometimes, they do not even take care of us when we are old and useless.
So for those who do not have faith because of the trials of life, or simply because they cannot accept the sufferings in the world, there is still another possibility to grow in faith. It is through works of love and mercy. St Teresa of Calcutta urged us to begin by loving those who are sick and vulnerable. When we reach out to them, our hearts will grow in love, and eventually, it will open us to the love and mercy of God. She wrote, “If you don’t believe in God, at least you can help others with deeds inspired by love, and the fruit of those works will be the coming down of extra graces into your soul. Then you will begin to open yourself out gradually and will long for the joy of loving God.” And for those who love God and things are not according to the way we would like it to be, in faith, St Teresa of Calcutta asked us to surrender to our Lord. She said, “I’m never afraid. I do my work with Jesus; I do it for him, offering it to him; so the results are his, not mine.” Faith and love for Jesus is the secret!
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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