Readings: Wisdom 18:6-9; Heb. 11:1-2, 8-19; Lk 12:32-48
Fear Not, Little Flock! – How Strong Is Your Faith?
1. The theme of our readings today is faith. Abraham is our father in the faith. So-called because he was tested repeatedly, but his faith was unshaken. The first reading tells us that the children of Israel waited in faith to be led out of Egypt to the promised land. They trusted their leader, Moses, and followed his directions. They believed that God was in control of their destiny. Faith is “the realization of what is hoped for, and evidence of things not seen.” The Catechism of the Church notes that “Faith is both a gift of God and a human act in response to God. In faith, the human intellect and will cooperate with divine grace. Believing is an act of the intellect assenting to the divine truth by command of the will moved by God through grace.” We can say, therefore, that because Abraham cooperated with God’s grace, it did not make it easy but possible for him to obey God. The grace of God disposed him to do God’s will.
2. Our faith should, likewise, dispose us to do God’s will and make us responsive to the needs of others. Believing in God should make us ready and willing to obey God’s commands. Hence, Christ calls us ‘Little Flock,’ who should rejoice because it pleased God to bestow the kingdom on us. This promise should help us to keep vigil while waiting for the return of the master; because we do not know precisely when he will come for us. We must gird our loins and be prepared. We must not be busy storing up treasures on earth but share what we have with those in need. We must always be on our duty posts as servants awaiting the arrival of their master. Instead of being idle and concentrating on acts injurious to our calling, harboring grudges, and being unnecessarily anxious about material things, we must do good deeds and engage in sporadic acts of kindness.
3. Faith is a gift from God. Treasure it! Share that gift with others. God has blessed us with the gift of wisdom, expression of knowledge, gift of healing, mighty deeds, prophecy, discernment of spirit, varieties of tongues, teaching, singing, and helping people. We must put these gifts at the service of others. To whom much is given, much will be demanded. We will be punished if we do not put our gifts to good use. God will demand accountability from us. God will test our faith as He tested Abraham’s faith because our faith must be living, practical, and trustworthy. Job’s faith was tested, and so was the faith of many men and women in the bible. In Abraham, we see a man who seemingly hoped against hope but never gave up. Abraham was instructed to move to a land he did not know; he put his faith and trust in God and obeyed without questioning. He and his wife were past the age of childbearing, but God rewarded them with a son, Isaac. Even with Isaac as the sole inheritor of Abraham’s inheritance, God demanded that he should offer his only son Isaac in sacrifice to God. He obeyed without hesitation. God promised and assured Abraham that He would be with him and his descendants always. On their part, they were to be faithful to him. God never reneges on his promises. But the children of Israel, like us, constantly turned their backs on God. Jesus renews that promise today. Fear not, he urges us. We can decide to live in faith, hope, and peace or in fear and anxiety, trusting neither God nor others.
4. Today, Jesus emphasized the need to have a strong faith. If our faith is strong, we have nothing to fear; nothing should shake or disturb us. Like Abraham, who lived peacefully and without fear because he trusted the Lord, we must put our trust in God. “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.” (Ps. 125:1). Though our lives may be demanding and our faith tested many times over, we must believe in God’s promises and respond to him in love. God is faithful to his promises; he never fails!
5. Let us pray that we may use God’s gifts and live a fear-free life. May our prayer life, commitment to baptism, and fidelity to one another guarantee the kingdom Christ promised us. Amen
Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP
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