The Power and Source of Faith

In today's first reading, Acts 14: 5-18, Paul and Barnabas flee to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe, as they are about to be stoned in Iconium for witnessing to Jesus' resurrection from the dead.  In Lacaonia they come upon a man crippled from birth. Looking intently upon him, they see the depth of his faith. So  they say to him:  "'Stand up straight on  your feet.' He jumped up and began to walk about."  Those who witnessed this miracle say about Paul and Barnabas: "The gods have come down to us in human form."  Paul and Barnabas have their hands full in their efforts to convince them that they are not gods but human beings just like them. In the responsorial psalm we pray:  "Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name give glory because of your mercy, because of your truth."

The questions this passage puts before us are many.   1) When others look at us, do they recognize the depth of our faith or do they see its shallowness? When I am "crippled" by whatever--for instance, I could be crippled psychologically or spiritually by the restrictions put upon us by this corona virus-- do others see the shallowness of my faith, that is, that I have begun to doubt the good intentions of those imposing the restrictions?  And that I have begun to doubt that God cares? Or that I have begun to doubt that I have the ability to make a positive difference in my own life and the life of others in the way I handle the challenges before me?    2) Or do others see the depth of my faith,  as Barnabas and Paul  saw the faith of the crippled man?  Do I stand straight and tall in the face of the challenges of remaining positive and proactive? Do I trust that I will make it through this trying time and come out stronger? Do I believe that good will come out of this difficult time and that I have the power to make good things happen right now and right here?  3) When others want to credit me for something I did by the grace of God, do I take the credit or give the "glory" to God?  4) Do I recognize when "the glory" is misplaced and put on me when it belongs to Another/another?

Glorifying God with our Lives

"Give glory and eternal praise to [God],"  who created you, breathes His breath into you, guards you as God walks ahead of you preparing the way, as God walks behind you to catch you when you fall, as God walks beside you as a companion on the way to eternal life!  In today's first reading, Daniel 5: 12-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28, we read that the son of Nebuchadnezzar, King Belshazzar, defied God, desecrating the sacred vessels from "the house of God in Jerusalem", using them to drink wine with his lords, his wives, and his entertainers. Not only that, but also he and his companions also worshipped "the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone that neither see nor hear or have intelligence.  But the God in whose hands," Daniel tells him, "is your life breath and the whole course of your life, you did not glorify." The writing that suddenly appeared on the wall of the palace where the king entertained his lords, wives, and entertainers, terrified the king: "his face blanched; his thoughts terrified him, his hips shook, and his knees knocked." 

Daniel did not mince words about what the writings meant. His interpretation:  This writing that was inscribed: Mene, Tekel, and Peres. These words mean: Mene, God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it; Tekel, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting; Peres, your kingdom  has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians."

We need to, I believe, pray for the grace to realize that God is our Lord and Master in life and in death, that we are here on earth to glorify the Lord and discover His sovereignty, His holiness, His unconditional love and mercy!  And, in turn, we are to be vessels of divine grace for others, obedient unto death as was the Son of Man, Jesus! Nothing else matters!  "Remain faithful until death, and [God] will I've you the crown of life," we read in Rev. 2 10c.

Glorifying God and being glorified by God

Today’s Gospel, John 17:  1-11a, opens with the phrase:  “Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said, ‘Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you….’”  All of us shave been in positions where the dreaded hour has arrived for us to face a situation or an encounter that we would have preferred to avoid.  Perhaps we can learn a great deal from what Jesus said to His Father.  He brings the situation to His Father’s attention, first of all, and then  asked  that  glory be given to himself.  He’s asking to come out of the situation in triumph, not in defeat; glorified, not demonized, not belittled, not shamed.  Imagine going into a situation that is scary with the frame of mind of Jesus. We would certainly approach it with confidence. Also, notice Jesus’ reasoning, namely that he may glorify the Father.  Do I approach the difficulties in my life in order to glorify the Father or do I enter into a difficult situation hoping to defeat the other person/s involved in the situation, to triumph over them and bring defeat to them?  I might want to ask myself “What is my motivation?”