I recall one time visiting with my late Spiritual Da. It's been several years ago now, but he had been considering why it is that there are not more saints among priests. He commented about why not more miracles performed by priests, and thus the topic of faith arose. We could converse on such topics for hours, but he usually would say it was enough after a couple or so hours!
(One time the Spiritual Da laughingly declared that if he'd let me, we'd talk about God until evening dark...or later! Yes, we had marvelous discussions about God and various theological topics, about the Church, and on that day, about faith and Christ's miracles, as well as His desire for His followers to be able to have great faith.)
Yesterday's Gospel reading at Mass (Mark 9:14-29) deals with aspects of faith: unbelief and belief. It also involves the disciples of Christ who had been asked by a father of a young boy afflicted with a mute spirit (possibly epilepsy) to drive out the spirit and heal his son. The apostles tried but to no avail. Upon learning of this situation, of His disciples yet unable to heal, Jesus expressed His consternation: "O faithless generation! How long will I be with you? How long will I endure you? Bring [the boy with the mute spirit] him to me."
Thus the boy's father was begging Jesus to help drive out the mute spirit from his son, since the disciples had been unsuccessful. But the father asked with an element of doubt or questioning when he requested of Jesus, "If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."
Jesus immediately responded, pointing out the doubt inherent in the plea: "if you can!" The boy's father immediately comprehended what Jesus meant, what was needed, when Jesus added: "Everything is possible to one who has faith." The man then, with much exuberance, recognized his weakness in faith; he cried out to Jesus, "I do believe, help my unbelief!"
The disabling "demon" of epilepsy or whatever similar ailment or possession/oppression was driven out of the boy. Jesus did explain to his questioning, wondering disciples, "Why could we not drive it out?" Speaking to them privately upon entering a house, Jesus explained, "This kind can only come out through prayer."
The Spiritual Da and I, that afternoon many years ago, plumbed the depth and breadth of various examples of Jesus' miracles and of what it takes for us humans to aspire to such faith. It ought to see simple, but yet the temporal and the doubts distract us. Faith is a virtue--a theological virtue--that is also a grace given from God. Faith can be elusive to us humans because we waver in focus, in thought, in distraction, in our love of God in Himself and love of others as God loves. Another element in faith is to possess hope--hope in God. Faith is a grace, a gift, a virtue, and a progressive process.
Faith such as what is needed in miracles of healing, also require the person desiring healing (or whatever other miracle) to have great faith, also. Another time the Spiritual Da pointed this out in the Scripture describing Jesus in His hometown of Nazareth and when he left--unable to perform miracles due to the townspeople's "lack of faith."
The following selection regarding faith comes from first or second century writings titled The Shepherd. Hermas (presumed author, see below). The emphasis on various facets of our own minds, hearts, and souls that can get in the way of faith, help in refocusing our desire to believe, to have greater and ultimately, a more perfect and pleasing-to-God faith. As with the pleading father of the boy afflicted with a mute spirit, we are reminded to be ceaseless in our soul's request of Jesus: Lord, help my unbelief! Increase my faith!
"For God is not like us, who hold grudges, but he is forgiving, and feels pity for what he has made. So cleanse your heart of all the vanities of this world, of evil and sin, and ask the Lord, and you will receive everything...if you ask the Lord without doubting.
"But if you doubt in your heart, you will receive none of your requests. For those who doubt in their relation to God are the waverers and do not get any of their requests at all.... For anyone who wavers, if they do not repent, can be saved only with difficulty.
"So cleanse your heart of wavering and clothe yourself in faith, for it is strong, and trust God that you will receive all that you ask for, and if ever, when you have asked the Lord for something, you are somewhat slow in receiving it, do not doubt because you did not receive your soul's request quickly, for surely it is on account of some temptation or some transgression of which you are unaware, that you are slow in getting what you asked for.
"So do not stop making your soul's request.... Beware of such wavering, for it is wicked and foolish and uproots many from the faith, even those who are very faithful and strong.... Clothe yourself in strong and powerful faith, for faith promises all things and accomplishes all things, but doubt distrusts itself and fails in everything it undertakes."
~ From The Shepherd, written by Hermas, thought to be a former slave, or some think he was the brother to Pope Pius I which would place the writings c. 140-155. The the writings are based on five visions given to Hermas, followed by twelve mandates or commandments and ten parables. Some have thought that the writing could be as early as c. 90, and that this Hermas refers to the Hermas, a Christian of Rome, to whom St. Paul sent greetings (Rom. 16:14). At one point, The Shepherd was considered for inclusion in the New Testament.
God bless His Real Presence in us! Let us love God in Himself, above all things, and let us love others as God loves! May we seek to have--pray for always--pure and unwavering faith in God!
(One time the Spiritual Da laughingly declared that if he'd let me, we'd talk about God until evening dark...or later! Yes, we had marvelous discussions about God and various theological topics, about the Church, and on that day, about faith and Christ's miracles, as well as His desire for His followers to be able to have great faith.)
Yesterday's Gospel reading at Mass (Mark 9:14-29) deals with aspects of faith: unbelief and belief. It also involves the disciples of Christ who had been asked by a father of a young boy afflicted with a mute spirit (possibly epilepsy) to drive out the spirit and heal his son. The apostles tried but to no avail. Upon learning of this situation, of His disciples yet unable to heal, Jesus expressed His consternation: "O faithless generation! How long will I be with you? How long will I endure you? Bring [the boy with the mute spirit] him to me."
Thus the boy's father was begging Jesus to help drive out the mute spirit from his son, since the disciples had been unsuccessful. But the father asked with an element of doubt or questioning when he requested of Jesus, "If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."
Jesus immediately responded, pointing out the doubt inherent in the plea: "if you can!" The boy's father immediately comprehended what Jesus meant, what was needed, when Jesus added: "Everything is possible to one who has faith." The man then, with much exuberance, recognized his weakness in faith; he cried out to Jesus, "I do believe, help my unbelief!"
The disabling "demon" of epilepsy or whatever similar ailment or possession/oppression was driven out of the boy. Jesus did explain to his questioning, wondering disciples, "Why could we not drive it out?" Speaking to them privately upon entering a house, Jesus explained, "This kind can only come out through prayer."
The Spiritual Da and I, that afternoon many years ago, plumbed the depth and breadth of various examples of Jesus' miracles and of what it takes for us humans to aspire to such faith. It ought to see simple, but yet the temporal and the doubts distract us. Faith is a virtue--a theological virtue--that is also a grace given from God. Faith can be elusive to us humans because we waver in focus, in thought, in distraction, in our love of God in Himself and love of others as God loves. Another element in faith is to possess hope--hope in God. Faith is a grace, a gift, a virtue, and a progressive process.
Faith such as what is needed in miracles of healing, also require the person desiring healing (or whatever other miracle) to have great faith, also. Another time the Spiritual Da pointed this out in the Scripture describing Jesus in His hometown of Nazareth and when he left--unable to perform miracles due to the townspeople's "lack of faith."
The following selection regarding faith comes from first or second century writings titled The Shepherd. Hermas (presumed author, see below). The emphasis on various facets of our own minds, hearts, and souls that can get in the way of faith, help in refocusing our desire to believe, to have greater and ultimately, a more perfect and pleasing-to-God faith. As with the pleading father of the boy afflicted with a mute spirit, we are reminded to be ceaseless in our soul's request of Jesus: Lord, help my unbelief! Increase my faith!
"For God is not like us, who hold grudges, but he is forgiving, and feels pity for what he has made. So cleanse your heart of all the vanities of this world, of evil and sin, and ask the Lord, and you will receive everything...if you ask the Lord without doubting.
"But if you doubt in your heart, you will receive none of your requests. For those who doubt in their relation to God are the waverers and do not get any of their requests at all.... For anyone who wavers, if they do not repent, can be saved only with difficulty.
"So cleanse your heart of wavering and clothe yourself in faith, for it is strong, and trust God that you will receive all that you ask for, and if ever, when you have asked the Lord for something, you are somewhat slow in receiving it, do not doubt because you did not receive your soul's request quickly, for surely it is on account of some temptation or some transgression of which you are unaware, that you are slow in getting what you asked for.
"So do not stop making your soul's request.... Beware of such wavering, for it is wicked and foolish and uproots many from the faith, even those who are very faithful and strong.... Clothe yourself in strong and powerful faith, for faith promises all things and accomplishes all things, but doubt distrusts itself and fails in everything it undertakes."
~ From The Shepherd, written by Hermas, thought to be a former slave, or some think he was the brother to Pope Pius I which would place the writings c. 140-155. The the writings are based on five visions given to Hermas, followed by twelve mandates or commandments and ten parables. Some have thought that the writing could be as early as c. 90, and that this Hermas refers to the Hermas, a Christian of Rome, to whom St. Paul sent greetings (Rom. 16:14). At one point, The Shepherd was considered for inclusion in the New Testament.
God bless His Real Presence in us! Let us love God in Himself, above all things, and let us love others as God loves! May we seek to have--pray for always--pure and unwavering faith in God!
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