In order to reflect today's readings, we try to see, What do you mean by a servant?
A good Servant has to be faithful to his master. He should understand what his master wanted him to do and he should carry out that assigned function, with diligence. Then only master will be happy about him. Similarly, if you say, I have faith on God: it does not mean anything, unless I know what God wants me to do?. Otherwise, if God has to do what I want to do, you become boss or master of the
God. That is why, in today's reading both faith and servant is mentioned.
Then What do you mean by faith?
Faith is willingness to allow Christ to love you,to save you from yourselves. The judiazers insisted that gentiles could be saved only by fulfilling the law. Paul knowing law better than they, insisted on the contrary that the Christians only task is to stand beneath the cross, look up to Jesus and say" here I am Lord, let it done to me as you say".
Or
It is simply standing before God like Abrham and saying' Here I am lord.
Or
Like Mary " I am the servant of the lord,let it be done to me as you say"(luke 1:38).
Faith with God, in another word is supernatural virtue which is necessary for salvation. it is a free gift of God,& is accessible who humbly seek it.
It involves more than just believing that God exist, but believing what God has revealed+what Holy Spirit reveals thru' pope now.
Deposit of faith means what God has revealed to you. Hence you can treat faith as your personal response to those revealed truths. Catholics believes these truths are coming from sacred tradition+Bilble. Here too, interpretation of bible becomes essential. Catholics believe final interpretation lies with pope.
For ex:"If your hand causes you to sin,cut it off"(Mt 9:43),catholics interprets, as a figure of speech rather something to be taken literally.
Faith means full surrender to your will to God. With faith; you can make impossible things to possible.
Let us go thu' Today's reading:
1st reading Heb: 1:2-3,2:2-4 says" the prophets cried out to the lord for help and the lord replies"the just man, because of his faith, shall live"
2nd reading: Paul to Thimotians( 2 Tim 1:6-8,1-14) says" paul advices timothy to stir into flame: the gift of God and to guard the rich deposit of faith he has received.
Gospel reading: Lk 17:5-10; the Apostles ask Jesus to increase their faith and Jesus places some of the responsibility on them..
3 major points to be reflected
(1) Why apostles asked Jesus to increase the faith?.
(2) Why Jesus says with increase of faith, you can do wonders?
(3) Why jesus says' you are servants and an no claim to ask any benefit!.
On one side Jesus said with faith 'when you say to mulberry tree ' be uprooted, and plant in sea, it will be planted'
ON the other side He is saying 'we are servants We cannot do no more than our duty'. Is it Contradicting?
In reading 1 prophet habukuk asks" how long oh lord I cry for help but you do not listen" there are no single person in the world, who is 100% healthy. They have encounter pain and suffering at some time in their life. Many are tempted to ask" if God is really good, if God loves me, why this tragedy happens to me?.
In order to understand about these let us analyze what the main Three Theological Virtues (faith, hope, and charity) which allow man to share in God's nature. These virtues relate directly to God who directly infuses these three virtues into the soul where they make the believers capable of living as God's children and meriting eternal life.
When faith is deprived of hope and love, it does not unite the believer to Christ nor make him a living member of the body.
"Faith apart from works is dead" (Jas 2:26).
Christ's disciple must spread the faith to others, even if this brings about hardship to him. Jesus said, "Whoever acknowledge me
before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father" and "Whoever denies me before men, I will deny before my Father" (Mt 10:43-33)
Let us analyze value of Hope
By hope, we seek heaven, place our trust in Christ's promises, and rely on the Holy Spirit. We must "hold fast to our confession of hope" (Heb 10:23). Through the Spirit, we have "become heirs in hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:6-7). Into everyone's heart, God has placed a search for happiness. Hope responds to this desire. It sustains man, frees him from discouragement, preserves him from selfishness, and leads to happiness on earth and in heaven.
hope, he believed, and thus became the father of many nations"(Rom 4:18).
Jesus unfolded Christian hope in the beatitudes, proclaiming that
those who suffer trials on earth are blessed in heaven. This hope "does not disappoint" (Rom 5:5) because Jesus has gone ahead "as a forerunner on our behalf" (Heb 6:19-20), Therefore, we can hope to gain heaven and to persevere "to the end" (Mt 10:22).
Now let us analyze the value of charity
By charity, we love God for his own sake and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God.
Jesus loved us "to the end" (Jn 13:1). He told his disciples to "love one another as I have loved you" (Jn15:9,12). Charity keeps the commandments of God and of Christ,
"If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love"
(Jn 15:9-10).
Christ demands that we love everyone, especially our enemies, our neighbors and the poor. St. Paul says that love is patient and kind, believing, helping, and enduring all things. Love is not jealous,boastful,arrogant, rude, irritable,or resentful.
Without charity, "I am nothing" and "I gain
nothing." "So faith, hope, and charity abide, these three. But the greatest of these is charity" (1 Cor 13:1-13).
By charity, we love God for his own sake and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God.
Jesus loved us "to the end" (Jn 13:1). He told his disciples to "love one another as I have loved you" (Jn15:9,12). Charity keeps the commandments of God and of Christ,
"If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love"
(Jn 15:9-10).
Christ demands that we love everyone, especially our enemies, our neighbors and the poor. St. Paul says that love is patient and kind, believing, helping, and enduring all things. Love is not jealous,boastful,arrogant, rude, irritable,or resentful.
Without charity, "I am nothing" and "I gain
nothing." "So faith, hope, and charity abide, these three. But the greatest of these is charity" (1 Cor 13:1-13).
How Love Animates the Moral Life?
Charity binds all virtues "together in perfect harmony (Col 3:14) and gives them order. Charity purifies and raises human love
to the perfection of God's love.
In conclusion:
Todays readings, church invited us to reflect, what you mean by having faith with anybody. To have faith with God: Paul to Galatians (3:7-14) insisting: it is faith that saves,not works But what is faith for paul? It is not accepting a system of doctrines.
When you are faithful with God, you should know what HE asked you to do? Charity become prominent. Also you try to enhance your knowledge by reading and interpreting Bible+ get to know about church rules(which is given by Holy Spirit)
God bless you
For more details follow this links :
http://weeklycatholicreflectio
Or
http://www.sundayreading.net/
Charity binds all virtues "together in perfect harmony (Col 3:14) and gives them order. Charity purifies and raises human love
to the perfection of God's love.
In conclusion:
Todays readings, church invited us to reflect, what you mean by having faith with anybody. To have faith with God: Paul to Galatians (3:7-14) insisting: it is faith that saves,not works But what is faith for paul? It is not accepting a system of doctrines.
When you are faithful with God, you should know what HE asked you to do? Charity become prominent. Also you try to enhance your knowledge by reading and interpreting Bible+ get to know about church rules(which is given by Holy Spirit)
God bless you
For more details follow this links :
http://weeklycatholicreflectio
Or
http://www.sundayreading.net/
http://www.sinhalagospel.lk/Su
Or for more details about Mary
http://holymaryreflection.blog
Or for more details about Mary
http://holymaryreflection.blog
