Let's be faith-full

How is your faith these days? Mine is often shaky. That’s why I was convicted a bit and encouraged a lot by the first reading at Mass today. It is from the Letter to the Hebrews, one of my favorites for its solid teaching. (Heb 11:1-7) I have highlighted some of the phrases that particularly struck me. Faith is one of the three theological virtues that were infused into our souls at our Baptism. We have faith but it needs to grow and deepen. It is like a muscle we have to exercise in order to make it strong. But we also need the grace of Faith to keep us firmly rooted in our relationship with the Lord. Perhaps you too can pray with this reading from Hebrews and allow the Holy Spirit to shed some light on the state of your Faith. “Lord, increase my Faith.”

Brothers and sisters: Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. Because of it the ancients were well attested. By faith we understand that the universe was ordered by the word of God, so that what is visible came into being through the invisible. By faith Abel offered to God a sacrifice greater than Cain’s. Through this, he was attested to be righteous, God bearing witness to his gifts, and through this, though dead, he still speaks.

By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death,and he was found no more because God had taken him. Before he was taken up, he was attested to have pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him, for anyone who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. By faith Noah, warned about what was not yet seen, with reverence built an ark for the salvation of his household. Through this, he condemned the world and inherited the righteousness that comes through faith.

In our culture today it is not always easy to have faith - but our faith is in God - not in the circumstances that surround us. Let's pray for one another that God will deepen our supernatural Faith - in Him and in His promises.