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| Praying at Dinner Table |
Sunday’s word of God in the Book of Proverbs described the “ideal wife”in second century Judaism. She keeps her word. Above all, she lives in awe of God who loves her unconditionally. From St. Paul, we had a passionate exhortation to live as children of light, to become "God-like" in our everyday behavior. And Jesus tells a parable of a wealthy man who gives “talents” to each of his three servants. The point is simple: use our gifts and talents for the glory of God.
The overriding theme in the "ideal wife," Paul's letter and Jesus in the Gospel is faithfulness. They were full of faith. But what is faith? Paul’s letter to the Hebrews says faith is “the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1).
Some of you may remember the Rolling Stones song, “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction.” True satisfaction comes through faith in Jesus, who said, “I came so that you may have life, and have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10).
Faith, a gift from God, empowers us to have a relationship with God.But what does faith look like in practice? The biblical Abraham is a model of faith in God:
Faith trusts in God's unconditional love. Abraham said yes to God’s call to travel to an unknown place. He didn't know where he was going. But he knew with whom he was traveling: God!
Faith sees beyond this earthly life. We live in an “instant” culture. Abraham was in it for the long haul. “He was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and maker is God.” (Heb 11:10).
Faith is staying with God despite doubts. Trusting, abiding, serving.
Our faith is a gift from God that empowers us to have a right relationship with the triune God as creator, redeemer and sanctifier. Faith invites us to enter into an encounter with the living Christ, to follow him who is our way to eternal life, our truth who sets us free from falsehoods, and our light who illuminates the darkness. Faith is about connected-ness…about our relationship with God that we nurture especially through prayer.
Faith is richer and deeper than belief. Belief is a statement about our faith. In the Nicene Creed, we proclaim: I believe in one God, almighty, maker of heaven and earth. And yes, we believe in one lord, Jesus Christ, who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven. Jesus for our sake was crucified, died, was buried and rose again. He is our healer, reconciler and pledge of eternal life. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the lord, the giver of life. We believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic community. We acknowledge one baptism and look to the resurrection and the life to come.
The creed underscores the essential content of faith. May the God who loves us unconditionally increase our faith so that we can see what lies beneath and beyond appearances, the presence of God all around us. And may that experience inspire us to live a "God-like" life.
