19th Sunday22

What is faith? The author of the Letter to the Hebrews teaches that;” Faith is the guarantee of the things we hope for, and the certainty of the things that we do not see.” Faith is God’s gift and is a human attitude. It is the Holy Spirit who empowers us by reason and will to cling to what God has revealed to us, most fully in his Son. Since faith is a grace, one must ask for it and give thanks for it.                                                                                                                             We believe in a God who has revealed himself to us as a Trinity of Persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We believe God, that is to say, we acknowledge as true what God has revealed, but we also trust God fully. Faith is a conscious and free act. Man can say ‘no’ to God. He can exclude God from his life. He can live as if God does not exist. He can say: ‘God does not exist’. There is a well-known saying: “If you will not do as you believe, start believing as you do”.

If a person does not try to follow the faith, then he begins to justify his sinful life and this justification can lead all the way to unbelief.

Our faith grows as we pray day after day. I pray because I believe, I believe because I pray. I believe, so I develop my faith through contact with the word of God. I believe, therefore I confess. This applies to Holy Communion and to every action.  Faith, if it is ever deepening, is expressed in concern for the faith of others. I believe, therefore I want others to believe too. The greatest sin against faith is unbelief, the conscious, voluntary rejection of God, but also subjectivism. If someone says he believes but does not practice, he is inconsistent, because  ” faith without works is useless.” It is often the case that people say: ‘I believe in these truths, I don’t believe in those. I accept this and I don’t accept that. I have my faith.” This may include ignorance, but it may also express a person’s pride.  If I believe in God and God, it means that I know that the Lord God cannot be wrong and lie. Faith is the pillar of the Christian life. There are sometimes difficult moments in our lives.

Moments through which it is faith that helps you get through. Sometimes, when we humanly cannot cope with something, we feel we have the support of God. Faith is hope for us. It reminds us that God loves each of us just as we are. If you say to a friend: “I believe you” means that you trust him. But if your life depended on his fidelity, perhaps you would tremble in fear of betrayal. And if he were to risk his life in the name of your friendship, would you trust him to the end then too? Would you still believe him?