Deacon Tom Writes,
“Plugged In”
Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
Imagine we could harness the power Jesus associates with faith. If a tiny amount of faith could transform the physical environment, and one could move mountains, there would be no limit to the good that people with just a bit of faith could accomplish. So why do we have so many conditions that cause us hardship, sorrow, regret and grief? Is Jesus somehow chiding His disciples for lacking faith?
The sudden urge the Apostles had for more faith is revealing. Was it because they are finally beginning to realize they needed to step up their game in order to follow Jesus; or they needed more faith themselves just to grasp Jesus’ revolutionary teachings about love, forgiveness and the cost of discipleship? A little of each, I suspect.
Today there is an obvious need for increased faith on our part. We need a deep faith to reshape the landscapes of our hearts and minds so that we realize that God is God and we are the work of His hands. This is a seismic shift in the prevailing wisdom of our contemporary society that feeds us non-stop with the toxic messaging that the individual is at the center of the universe; that holds out an empty wisdom that is relentless in feeding our egos and boosting our pride that “I” deserve the best, that “I’m # 1, that “I’m” a self-made person and everybody else has to take their place behind me. Faith is the only antidote that enables us to see the bigger picture that places God at the center of everything and to recognize a power above and beyond us…a loving and caring God who invites us to enjoy and share this world and all its riches with one another and who gives us the vision there are greater things to come.
Faith gives us a clear vision of what lies ahead and the obstacles we must overcome to get there. Once the Apostles recognized the road they were about to travel, they asked Jesus for the Faith to carry on. A wise request and one worthy of imitation. For, the more our faith increases, the more we will understand who we are: “we are unprofitable servants” striving to do what we have been asked to do – love, forgive and serve.
Enjoy the day!
Deacon Tom
Please Visit www.deaconspod.com and listen in to hear some Catholic Deacons engage in a contemporary conversation exploring the treasures our Catholic faith has to offer to those on the threshold, those thinking of joining our Catholic Community or walking away from it.
OTHER RESOURCE
Recommended Reading: Why God? by Richard Leonard, S.J. is a collection of stories and is divided into four parts: Church; Liturgy and Sacraments, Society, Faith and Spirituality. Through these very personal and engaging stories, the author provides insights into the way God works through people and often unexpected places and events. These true stories speak of the power of God working in creation and through the unlikely individuals and places that we discover God's transforming love.
Recommended YouTube Video: Fr Richard Leonard, S.J. YouTube Presentation, "Why God?", Stories to Inspire Faith
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