HOMILY FOR 27th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME--C

 ON THIS 27TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME OUR READINGS RAISE THE ISSUE OF FAITH AND HOW WE GET IT AND NOURISH IT.  TODAY WE NEED TO DEAL WITH 2 QUESTIONS ABOUT FAITH.  FIRST WHY IS IT IMPORTANT AND SECOND HOW DO WE GET IT?     

WHY IS FAITH IMPORTANT?  IT COULDN’T BE MORE IMPORTANT SINCE FAITH IS THE SOURCE OF OUR SALVATION.  WITHOUT FAITH, WE WHO HAVE RECEIVED THE MESSAGE OF GOD WILL NOT ACHIEVE SALVATION.  NOW SOME, LIKE MARTIN LUTHER, WOULD HOLD THAT IT IS FAITH ALONE AND NOT WHAT WE DO THAT BRINGS US SALVATION.  THIS IS CALLED SOLA FIDES, FAITH ALONE, AND IN A SENSE THAT IS RIGHT.  WHAT WE DO, OUR GOOD WORKS, CANNOT EARN SALVATION FOR US.  GOD IS NOT UP IN HEAVEN WAITING TO SEE IF WE DO SO MANY GOOD THINGS THAT WE MEET THE ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS.  GOD IS NOT UP THERE WITH A SCALE SEEING IF OUR GOOD DEEDS OUTWEIGH THE BAD.  WE CANNOT FORCE GOD TO LET US INTO HEAVEN BY DOING SO MANY GOOD DEEDS.  WE CAN’T FORCE GOD INTO DOING ANYTHING.

FAITH AND THE SALVATION THAT FLOWS FROM IT ARE FREE GIFTS OF GOD.  WE CANNOT DEMAND THEM AS OUR DUE BECAUSE WE DID THIS OR THAT OR DIDN’T DO SOMETHING WE’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO.  ON THE OTHER HAND, AS THE LETTER OF JAMES HAS IT IN CHAPTER 2, FAITH WITHOUT DOING THE THINGS FAITH DEMANDS JUST DOESN’T MAKE MUCH SENSE.  PROBABLY THE BEST WAY TO THINK OF IT IS THAT GOOD WORKS MUST BE PRESENT ALONG WITH FAITH SINCE THEY ARE NOTHING MORE THAN FAITH IN ACTION.  IN TODAY’S GOSPEL, WHEN TELLING THE DISCIPLES THAT EVEN THE SMALLEST AMOUNT OF FAITH CAN DO GREAT THINGS, JESUS IS TELLING US FAITH IS THERE TO BE USED.

NOW THE SECOND ISSUE, HOW WE GET FAITH.  WELL, WE CAN’T GET IT AS OUR DUE.  GOD NEVER OWES IT TO US.  IT IS A FREE GIFT BUT IT IS A GIFT THAT IS ALWAYS BEING OFFERED.  GOD IS ALWAYS OUT THERE IN A SENSE BEGGING US TO TAKE THIS FREE GIFT OF FAITH.  YOU KNOW IN A SENSE OUR GOD IS A CRAZY GOD SINCE HE ALWAYS THERE GIVING US THINGS EVEN WHEN WE DON’T DESERVE THEM.  I GUESS YOU COULD SAY GOD IS JUST DYING TO SAVE US (PUN INTENDED).

SO HOW DO WE GET FAITH?  IT’S ALWAYS BEING OFFERED SO ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS TO SAY THANKS LORD, I’LL HAVE SOME OF THAT.  IN OTHER WORDS, GETTING FAITH IS JUST ASSENTING TO ACCEPTING THE GIFT THAT THE LORD IS OFFERING US.  GOD GAVE US FREE WILL JUST LIKE HE HAS (REMEMBER WE ARE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD) SO WHETHER WE HAVE FAITH OR NOT IS JUST WHETHER WE DECIDE WE WANT IT OR NOT.  IT’S NOT FORCED ON US OR WITHHELD FROM US.

NOW SOME WOULD SAY HOW CAN THAT BE?  GOD KNOWS EVERYTHING THAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE SO HOW CAN WE HAVE FREE WILL.  IT SEEMS THAT SOME WILL SAY YES TO FAITH AND SOME NO AND, SINCE GOD KNOWS WHICH ONES WILL DO WHAT, DOESN’T THAT MEAN SOME ARE AUTOMATICALLY SAVED AND SOME AUTOMATICALLY DAMNED.  THIS IS CALLED PREDESTINATION AND WE USUALLY THINK OF MARTIN LUTHER AND JOHN CALVIN WHEN IT COMES UP.  BUT IT WAS AROUND FOR QUITE SOME TIME EVEN BEFORE THEM.

WELL IT’S TRUE THAT GOD IS OMNISCIENT BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN THAT HIS KNOWLEDGE MAKES US DO SOMETHING.  RATHER IT IS THAT WE CHOOSE TO DO SOMETHING THAT PUTS IT IN GOD’S HEAD.  ST. AUGUSTINE DEALT WITH THIS WAY BACK IN THE 300’S WHEN HE WAS COMBATING A HERESY KNOWN AS PELAGIANISM.  HE PUT IT THIS WAY.  THE FACT THAT I KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST DID NOT MAKE WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST HAPPEN AND THE FACT THAT GOD KNOWS WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE DOES NOT MAKE THAT HAPPEN EITHER.

SO WE GET FAITH WHEN WE ASSENT TO IT OUT OF OUR OWN FREE WILL.  WHAT EXACTLY ARE WE ASSENTING TO?  WHEN WE ASSENT TO FAITH WE ARE SAYING YES TO TWO THINGS—FIRST TO GOD AS A PERSON.  YES I BELIEVE IN YOU.  YOU ARE GOD AND I AM YOUR CREATURE.  SECOND, WE ARE ALSO SAYING YES TO GOD’S TRUTH, WHAT HE HAS TAUGHT US IN SACRED SCRIPTURE AND WHAT HAS BEEN PASSED DOWN TO US IN TRADITION FROM THE APOSTLES.  NOT ONLY IS FAITH SAYING ‘YES’, WE HAVE TO ACT ‘YES’.  AS I MENTIONED ABOVE, IF OUR FAITH IS A REAL FAITH, A REAL ASSENT TO GOD, IT WILL SHOW ITSELF IN WHAT WE DO.

SO IS THERE A WAY TO INCREASE OUR FAITH LIKE THE APOSTLES IN TODAY’S GOSPEL WANTED?  WELL THE ANSWER IS NO AND YES.  NO, SINCE FAITH IS A FREE GIFT FROM GOD. WE CAN’T DEMAND IT.  THE FULL AMOUNT OF FAITH IS ALWAYS ON THE TABLE WAITING FOR US.  THE WHOLE KIT AND CABOODLE OF IT.  THE ANSWER IS ALSO YES THOUGH SINCE WHAT WE CAN DO IS TO EVEN MORE FULLY ASSENT TO FAITH, TO EVEN MORE FULLY ASSENT TO GOD AND TO THE TRUTHS GOD HAS REVEALED.  SO WE INCREASE OUR FAITH BY DECIDING TO TAKE MORE OFF THE TABLE, MORE OF WHAT IS ALREADY OUT THERE WAITING FOR US.

THERE ARE SOME PRACTICAL STEPS TO GET MORE FAITH.  FIRST, SINCE WE ASSENT TO A GOD AS A PERSON WE CAN STRENGTHEN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD BY THE SACRAMENTS, PRAYER AND THE STUDY OF SCRIPTURE.  GETTING TO KNOW GOD BETTER WILL STRENGTHEN THAT ‘YES’ TO FAITH.  SECOND, A WAY TO STRENGTHEN FAITH IS THE WAY WE STRENGTHEN ANY OF OUR SKILLS.  PRACTICE.  JUST DO IT.  THAT IS WHAT JESUS WAS TELLING THE DISCIPLES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE GOSPEL.  IN THE VERSE BEFORE TODAY’S GOSPEL, JESUS TELLS THEM THEY MUST FORGIVE 70 TIMES 7 TIMES.  THEY THOUGHT HOW CAN WE DO THIS.  WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH FAITH TO DO SOMETHING SO DEMANDING.  JESUS JUST TELLS THEM ACT LIKE YOU HAVE FAITH AND THE FAITH WILL BE THERE.