Appearance of Faith
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
“Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.”Ps. 85
“Jesus reached out and grasped him, and said, “What little faith! Why have you doubted?” As soon as they got into the boat, the wind died down.”Matthew 14:33
Jesus on this occasion as in many others makes the claim of the lack of faith of his disciples, as other times to people in general. Peter sinks because he doesn’t believe that Jesus could make him walk on water. When we falter in faith, we do not let Him be our strength and act with power in us. Faith is the door that opens us to God’s gifts.
Many are those who believe they have faith, or believe they have ever had faith, but in many cases it was not faith in Cristo, but a subjective faith-opinion that previously led them to think in one way and now in another; not a faith in God, for they never really believed that He was God, and that all His words were true. That is why they say, if you believe what God and the Church tell you and others do not, then it is not in God that you believe but in yourself.
If one believed that Jesus was not only a prophet, a wise man, but that He was really God, the giver of Life and the truth to follow, he would not fail to accept and follow all his teachings; that would be truly believing in God, in the divinity, power and truth of Jesus Christ. As a consequence we should believe and trust God more than in ourselves or any other voice in this world.
Our ego can deceive us in many ways, we have no perspective on ourselves, just as we do not see our internal organs, nor our back or face, we cannot truly see how we are spiritually, and we can believe that we are right and perhaps from the eyes of God, from the light of truth, to be at the antipodes of good, and to be really terrible, in a huge egocentrism.
One can deceive oneself and believe that he is right with God, and behave as an enemy of God, because he does not want to know Him or listen to Him, he wants to continue to govern his life in his own way, trusting more of himself than of God, and he wants to have God as his servant who grants him favors, or as an imaginary friend. pet type, with which you can do whatever you want. That is not faith, it is dishonest self-deception, because God revealed Himself and we do not need to invent it from our taste or imagination.
Unfortunately many have fallen into these errors, and deceive themselves thinking that they are right with God, but in their daily lives God does not paint anything, even when they sign themselves or say a prayer at the beginning and end of the day. God is not what He wants from us, He did not become man and died on the cross and rose again just to get that from us. Either He is your good shepherd, your teacher and light of your way, or you have not let Him take His place in your life, and in this case, others take the place of God, what we call idols, whom you give your heart, for whom you live and toil yourself, be they things, projects, money, people, and God was relegated to last place, as a mere vague belief or good luck charm.
What place does God have in your life? Is it in your heart or outside of Him? What fills your heart?
“Master, what is the main commandment of the Law? Jesus answered him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”Matthew 22:34
Readings for the Week
Sunday: 1 Kgs 19:9a, 11-13a/Ps 85:9, 10, 11-12, 13-14 (8)/Rom 9:1-5/Mt 14:22-33
Monday: Dt 10:12-22/Ps 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20/Mt 17:22-27
Tuesday: Vigil: 1 Chr 15:3-4, 15-16; 16:1-2/Ps 132:6-7, 9-10, 13-14/1 Cor 15:54b-57/Lk 11:27-28 Day: Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab/Ps 45:10, 11, 12, 16/1 Cor 15:20-27 /Lk 1:39-56
Wednesday: Dt 34:1-12/Ps 66:1-3a, 5 and 8, 16-17/Mt 18:15-20
Thursday: Jos 3:7-10a, 11, 13-17/Ps 114:1-2, 3-4, 5-6/Mt 18:21-19:1
Friday: Jos 24:1-13/Ps 136:1-3, 16-18, 21-22 and 24/Mt 19:3-12
Saturday: Jos 24:14-29/Ps 16:1-2a, and 5, 7-8, 11/Mt 19:13-15
Next Sunday: Is 56:1, 6-7/Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8 (4)/Rom 11:13-15, 29-32/Mt 15:21-28
Observances for the Week
Sunday: 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Monday: St. Maximillian Kolbe, Priest and Martyr
Tuesday: The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Wednesday: St. Stephen of Hungary
Saturday: St. John Eudes, Priest
Next Sunday: 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time