OT XXVII [C] Hb 1:2-3; 2:2-4; II Tm 1:6-8, 13-14; Lk 17:5-10

All three readings for today speak about “Faith” and how it works in our lives. They give us three dimensions of Faith. The theological virtue of Faith enables us to believe something to be true and therefore worthy of trust simply because it has been revealed to us by God.

Sometimes our faith never gets beyond the mustard-seed stage because we have the wrong idea of what it really is. Faith involves believing in Christ and his goodness. But it's a kind of belief that also requires action. It is one thing to know something notionally, another to be able to take that knowledge to heart, to dwell upon its significance, so allowing it to calm fears, nurture hope, and strengthen resolve in courage to face such difficulties and sufferings as still lie ahead. 

The word "faith" is derived from the Latin word "fides" [FEE-days]. This is the same word at the root of the Latin motto used by the United States Marines [mr-eenz]: "Semper Fidelis" - always faithful. Faith always implies being faithful - it implies a commitment to another person, a trusting commitment. And that means sticking by that person's side. For us, that person is Christ.  Faith in Christ means following Christ.

Picture a man on a sinking ship.  He may believe in a life-preserver. He may remember cases of people being saved because they were wearing a life-preserver when their ship went down. He may be a physicist, and understand the laws of hydro-dynamics that make the life-preserver work. He may understand perfectly how the Velcro straps function and where to attach them. But if this man doesn't actually put on the life-preserver and strap himself in - his faith is absolutely useless. If we want to move mountains and to experience God's power doing wonders in our lives, we have to put what we believe into practice, more and more, day after day - "Semper Fidelis".

The Responsorial Psalm we heard today gives us one surefire way to activate the power of faith: "If today you hear his voice, harden not your heart." Faith is practical. If we believe in God's wisdom, love, and power, we will obey him. We will follow where he leads.  And he is always leading us somewhere - always making his voice heard. The most common way he does so is through our conscience. Our conscience is like an inner radio station that is always tuned to God's voice. But it's not the only station out there, and, unfortunately, it's not always the loudest. Sometimes we turn up the station of peer pressure and fashion really loud, or the station dedicated to self-indulgence, irresponsible pleasure, and other soothing but deadening sounds. That's why the Psalmist tells us: "If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts."

Christ wants us to experience the power of faith in our lives. One way to nourish our faith is through reading and studying the Bible. It is easy for us to take the Bible for granted. We have been listening to readings from the Bible every Sunday since we could walk. And yet, this familiarity can actually backfire - it can make us treat this treasure like a trophy: letting it gather dust in the closet. There is no other book in the world like the Bible.

It was written by about 40 different authors though out   15 hundred years, and yet, it tells one consistent story: the story of God's saving love for mankind. Every part of the story, every one of the 72 books in the Bible, although it was written by a human author, was composed under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In other words, the Bible is the Word of God like no other book: when we read it with that in mind, reflecting on it, studying it - it feeds our faith.

Each one of us should have a favorite book, chapter, and verse in the Bible. Each one of us should know the Bible story as a whole. We should constantly be digging into it. Sister Lynn is going to start soon a bible study on the Gospel of Mark after Thursday evening Masses; Consider  joining it. The Bible is one of God's greatest gifts to us.  It is an inexhaustible fountain of supernatural wisdom.  Ignorance of Bible is ignorance of Christ. Without knowing Christ, we cannot believe in him or trust him with our lives.

Sometimes we don't experience the full power of faith in our lives because we have the wrong idea of what faith really is - we think a mature faith makes for smooth sailing in life, when in fact, it doesn't.

Doubleday book publishers put out a book of letters written by Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta to her spiritual directors. The public and the media were shocked by these letters. Everyone thought that Mother Teresa was the happiest person in the world, that her faith was so strong that nothing bothered her. And that is exactly the wrong idea of what faith is. Mother Teresa is a saint. Her faith was mature, strong, and contagious - it moved mountains, and it's still moving mountains. But it didn't make her crosses disappear. Her faith was so strong that she fulfilled her promise never to deny God anything that he asked - but it didn't take suffering out of her life. For fifty years she struggled with an interior darkness and the feeling of being abandoned by God.

There is a movie being released this week If you can get a ticket it is worth going.

Faith is increased by serving others like Mother Theresa, not by being served. Realizing that faith does not grow by itself, just like a seed that is sown does not grow on its own without water and sun light, let’s employ everything that is in our power to make it grow. May the Lord who rewards strong faith help us to make our faith grow to withstand all the challenges in our life.