Only Faith Works

October 9: Thursday of Week 27 of Ordinary Time, Year A-II:

Galatians 3:1-5; Canticle: Luke 1:69-70, 71-72, 73-75; Luke 11:5-13

What is Jesus saying to us as stewards of his kingship? 

(To support Reaching Jesus: 5 Steps to a Fuller Life... Step Five).

Only Faith Works

“Seek and you will find… the Holy Spirit”(Luke 11:9, 13).

To convince the Galatians that religion is not just law-observance, Paul appeals to their experience: “Did you receive the Spirit from works of the law, or from faith in what you heard?”

How would that question go down in parishes today? Would people have a clue what experience of “receiving the Spirit” Paul was talking about? Could he prove anything to us based on our experience of the Holy Spirit? Would we just gape at him?

If so, we may be in trouble. Or rather, since we know our parishes are in trouble, this might be the reason. Perhaps people are dropping out precisely because all we offer to sustain their faith are the “works of the law”: keeping the Commandments, going to Sunday Mass (not even knowing what “full, active conscious participation” would feel like), “saying” prayers just the way they did in grade school, knowing nothing of Scripture except what they hear from the pulpit, and thinking that being “involved” in the parish means running around performing the corporal and spiritual “works” of mercy.

“Can’t you offer something positive?”

Yes. “Have faith in what you heard.” Go inside your heart until you understand what it means to be a “Christian, disciple, prophet, priest and steward of Christ’s kingship.” All five require—and give—personal relationship with Jesus. Seek and find.

PRAY: “Lord, show me the way.”

PRACTICE: Google Nuts and Bolts of Daily Spirituality.