BEING PERSISTENT IN OUR FAITH
Reflections on Wisdom 18:14-16; 19:6-9 / Luke 18:1-8
by Frank Savadera, SJ
by Frank Savadera, SJ
A woman ... a WIDOW ... a powerless
persona in Palestine who had lost her husband. She PESTERS an UNJUST JUDGE to render
judgment about her case; What is the
case about? We are not sure ... but it
can be IMPLIED that it has something to do with her becoming a WIDOW. In the
olden days ... a WIDOW is bound to lose everything ... all the properties left
by her husband; and so ... this is not
just an ordinary WIDOW ... she was a DESPERATE WIDOW ... she was BATTLING for
HER LIFE and SURVIVAL. This explains her PERSISTENCE.
PERSISTENCE IN THE GOSPEL today is LINKED
CLOSELY TO FAITH. At the end of this
parable, Jesus asked: But when the Son of Man comes, will he find
FAITH on earth? The same FAITH as that
of the widow? The same PERSISTENCE as
that of the widow’s? FAITH is related to
persistence. Are we persistent enough
that when the Son of Man comes ... today ... will he find FAITH on
EARTH?
POPE BENEDICT XVI issued last October 11 ... his newest apostolic letter (you may want
to read about it in the Vatican website); his MOTU PROPRIO letter is entitled
PORTA FIDEI ... the DOOR OF FAITH ... which I think echoes the concern of Jesus
who in the Gospel asked: WHEN THE SON OF
MAN COMES, WILL HE FIND FAITH ON EARTH?
To stress the importance of FAITH as a GIFT and VIRTUE, Pope Benedict
declares the period October 11, 2011 to November 24, 2013 as THE YEAR OF FAITH
(which coincides with the 50th ANNIVERSARY of VATICAN II and the 20TH
ANNIVERSARY of the publication of the CATECHISM of the CATHOLIC CHURCH.
Celebrating anniversaries such as these
two ... represents the IMPORTANT MILESTONES that we have already experienced
for ourselves as CHURCH. Imagine how
expressions of our FAITH had changed because of Vatican II (some of you may
know better about this than I do).
Imagine how ... when I was studying ... our teachers would describe that
THICK BOOK, the Catechism of the Catholic Church as the COMPENDIUM or SUMMARY
of our FOUR YEARS of THEOLOGY (we should ALL HAVE A COPY OF THAT BOOK in our
LIBRARIES). More than anything else, I
think this TWIN CELEBRATION of these TWO IMPORTANT ANNIVERSARIES speaks of how
WE as a CHURCH wish to sustain our faith for the next years to come. As the Pope himself said in the
document: We cannot accept that salt should become tasteless or the light be kept
hidden. He encourages us
... as we read in the parable of the persistent widow ... that we ourselves ...
NEED BE PERSISTENT IN OUR FAITH.
PERSISTENCE IN
FAITH means GROWING IN OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE FAITH. In our academic setting ... this means CONTINUING
EDUCATION in the FAITH; Are we learning
more about what we believe? How do we
know that we are growing in knowledge of our faith? The Pope asks us ... if we are still
interested in knowing what is TRUE about ourselves, about our societies and
communities? Are we still sincerely searching for the ultimate meaning and
definitive truth of their lives and of the world. Do we continue to ask questions about
things happening around us? Are we
willing enough ... much like that of Vatican II to explore NEW and CREATIVE
WAYS of expressing our faith?
PERSISTENCE IN FAITH MEANS GROWING IN KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE FAITH.
PERSISTENCE IN
FAITH MEANS CONTINUALLY PROFESSING THAT FAITH.
According to
the Pope: “Faith implies
Public Testimony and commitment. A
Christian may never think of belief as a private act. And by his very existence
in the world, a Christian is called to radiate the word of truth that the Lord
Jesus has left us.” Further, he says, we must PROFESS THE FAITH IN FULLNESS
and with renewed conviction, with confidence and hope ... that faith which
is professed, celebrated, lived and prayed.
PROFESSING ... A LIFE OF
WORSHIP ... as in from the Book of Wisdom: FOR THEY RANGED (moved around) like horses
and like lambs PRAISING YOU, O LORD ... their deliverer!
RENEWAL OF OUR
FAITH. An additional mandate from the Pope, we makes
known: Religious communities
... as well as parish communities, and all ecclesial bodies old and new, are to
find a way, during this Year, to make a public profession of
the Credo. a summon to an
authentic and renewed conversion to the Lord, the one Saviour of the world ...
a kind of conversion ... that is not forced nor legislated ... but rather banks
the love of Christ that fills our hearts ... the love that FLOODS OUR HEARTS
(much like in the FIRST WEEK OF THE EXERCISES) that makes a renewal of ur very
selves a TRUE PERSONAL RESOLVE and DECISION.
PERSISTENCE IN FAITH (PORTA
FIDEI)
·
GROWING IN OUR
KNOWLEDGE OF FAITH by searching for WHAT IS TRUE and REAL about our CHURCH, our
COMMUNITIES and OURSELVES;
·
THE CHALLENGE
TO CONTINUE PROFESSING THE SAME FAITH THROUGH TESTIMONY/ WITNESS; and
·
RENEWAL OF THE
SAME FAITH ... experiencing a conversion of heart that is possible only BY
ALLOWING OUR HEARTS TO BE FLOODED BY THE REAL AND INTENSE LOVE OF GOD FOR US.
