Make your Faith Alive

Oct 2^nd, ’16 Sunday Homily : Fr.Francis Chirackal CMI
Hb 1:2-3, 2:2-4; 2Tim 1:6-8,13-14; Lk 17:5-10

For Readings click

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/092516.cfm 

On September 28^th, 2010 ‘The Sacramento Bee’ published a survey report with a heading ‘Religious Question? Better ask an atheist’ Referring to one of the statements it says, ‘..atheism is an effect of that knowledge, not a lack of knowledge. I gave a Bible to my daughter. That’s how you make atheists.’ Last Thursday, when I was travelling in New York Metro, I saw a group of young men and women beautifully and devotionally singing Christian songs in the moving train. As it is very rare to see a group like them singing Christian songs in a public place with such devotion, I asked one of them, sitting next to me, whether they belong to any ministry group. Then she told me with much enthusiasm that they are the students of Bible College and going for a study program in the next city. While reflecting on today’s gospel passage and above said two events, I was thinking, while the majority increase their faith in God through Bible, why some people become atheists? Faith in God is the most discussed subject in human history. Having faith in God and deviating away from God started from the beginning of creation itself. In the Old Testament we read, Adam and Eve had faith in God, and also deviation when they thought it restricts their freedom. Extreme deviations had serious consequences as we see in the Scriptures and many events in the history.

Today’s readings remind us to grow in active faith, which is basically a gift of God. In the First reading, the prophet complains regarding the evils found in this world, and God assures its gradual destruction and ultimate victory of the righteous ones. St.Paul in the second reading urges us to continue preaching and preserve the faith. In the gospel we see the Apostles asking Jesus to increase their faith. Jesus tells them to live out the faith they have already received and it will make the impossible possible. It reminds us to consider ourselves as servants, who did our obliged duties while living the faith.

When we look through the eyes of faith, we have nothing to claim as our own. Our existence in this world itself is His gift and God deserves our gratitude for our life. Our life is not an accidental one but fully in accordance with the plan of God, who respects our free will to choose. We never have a claim on God, other than being grateful to God and doing our expected duties as faithful servants. God gave us existence in this world and opportunities to enter heaven. God has promised us eternal life after this earthly journey. God will reward us for our life of faith in which we live his love and care, and impart it to others. Father Abraham, the Virgin Mary, the Martyrs, the Saints and we, all of us have received the same faith which is capable of producing the same fruit, to make the impossible things possible.

We find hundreds and thousands of people who did wonders with their faith in God. It includes most of the major philosophers, mathematicians, scientists, like Blaise Pascal who said, ‘Belief in God amounts to great potential gain and no potential loss. Not believing in God means a great potential loss and no potential gain. Great potential gain with no potential loss is better than the great potential loss with no potential gain. So it is better to believe in God than not to believe in God’.

 Albert Einstein could not see a universe that was self-created, without God. One time an atheist friend of Isaac Newton came over and saw his scale model of the solar system that Newton had. He remarked at how beautiful it was and asked who made it. Newton nonchalantly replied that no one did; it just made itself. The atheist asked again, got the same answer, and started to get angry. Newton replied, “if you cannot believe something as simple as this model cannot make itself, how can you believe the universe made themselves?” We know of Francis Bacon known for the scientific method, Robert Boyle, Louis Pasteur, and many who found the power of God beyond this visible universe and human intelligence. This reveals that faith in God is not something acquired with human reason or intelligence, but the gift of God nourished with human effort. Lack of faith is not a product of knowledge, but a product of lack of divine grace. At the same time, faith increases the grace as we grow in faith. Therefore let us remain always in grace so that we may live our faith actively and find the promised reward.

Jesus tells us that faith is capable of achieving what seems impossible. It finds solutions for situations that appear insoluble. Today, the different parts of the world are shaken by deep-rooted ethnic, political and communal hatreds. People and nations are kept apart not only by real mountains and oceans but by political, racial, regional and cultural ones. Many people don't understand each other or know each other. They despise and are afraid of each other. We may find hatred, grudges, and misunderstandings in all communities that seem to be impossible to heal or dissolve. Our real faith in God will succeed in pulling out these evil roots, though tough and resistant they may be, like the roots of a sycamore tree. Let us see whether any deep-rooted tree or big mountain hinders us of seeing others as our brothers and sisters. If we find anything of that kind and find it hard to move, let us pray to Jesus to increase our faith. The mountains will be replaced with love and peace. There we see the impossible things possible. God bless us.