“But father, how can I communicate with God? I don’t even know if God exists”, was the question a young boy asked me during a house blessing. The irony here is that the mother of this boy is very devoted and prayerful. She said he was baptised as infant and have all received the other sacraments of Christian initiation (Holy Eucharist and Confirmation). Then I asked myself: why this boy with such devoted Catholic parents lack christian spirituality: he was growing physically but not spiritually?
Many, like this young boy, begin to ask fundamental questions only at some point in their lives. Sometimes the curiosity don’t come until they experience difficulties that challenge their beliefs.
And so, are you concerned about your spiritual growth: do you want to grow deeper in faith and your encounter with God, then this message is for you. Continue reading slowly…
Luke 17:5-10
The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’ The Lord replied, ‘Were your faith the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it would obey you.
‘Which of you, with a servant ploughing or minding sheep, would say to him when he returned from the fields, “Come and have your meal immediately”? Would he not be more likely to say, “Get my supper laid; make yourself tidy and wait on me while I eat and drink. You can eat and drink yourself afterwards”? Must he be grateful to the servant for doing what he was told? So with you: when you have done all you have been told to do, say, “We are merely servants: we have done no more than our duty.”’
POINTS FOR REFLECTION
Child of God, faith is a supernatural gift from God that helps one to believe what God has revealed. Faith is not baptism, it is not a Sacrament but a theological virtue. The bible defines faith as ‘the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen’ (Heb 11:1). Growing deeper in faith involves three continuous and consistent steps, which are:
1. Hearing the Word of God
The Bible says faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Rom 10:17). The Word of God ignites the spark and then the light or fire that faith carries. Since God is the originator of faith, the only way to stay connected to the light of faith and its benefits is to hear the Word of God always. To make hearing the Word fruitful and profitable, one must study, meditate and pray with the Word of God daily.
Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. (Joshua 1:8)
2. Believing the Word of God
The next step in faith growth is believing what God has revealed in the Bible. The purpose for the written texts of revelation is to cause belief. The Bible says in John 20:31:
“But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
God commands His Word to be written down to keep memory that would serve as evidence leading to assurance. He instructs his prophet Habakkuk to write down His Word (Hab 2:2-4) because its fulfilment is meant for its own time and does not deceive.
3. Acting on the Word of God
The gift of faith received through the Word will remain inactive in us if we don’t act on the Word. Acting on the Word is an exercise of faith and means putting into practice what the Word tells us. In 2 Timothy 1:6 St Paul addresses Timothy his disciple, saying:
I am reminding you to fan into a flame the gift that God gave you when I laid my hands on you. God’s gift was not a spirit of timidity, but the but the Spirit of power, and love, and self-control. So you are never to be ashamed of witnessing to the Lord…
We put our faith to use in three (3) ways:
a. When we act in power: this mean being propelled by the Holy Spirit that is in us who helps us to overcome difficult tasks. It means acting in rhema and exercising one’s charisma or spiritual gifts.
b. When we act in Love: A man or woman of faith must live out love and show charity. Without love one’s faith is questionable. The Bible says:
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal”
c. When we act with self-control: This involves putting our appetites and desires to check. A man or woman of faith must control his or her tongue and five senses that they may not be channels of sin.
TASK
Make a Bible study plan to help you read, meditate and pray with the Word of God. You can improve your study by examining doctrinal questions or issues of common interest. Since the Bible is not a story book, complement your study and understanding with writings of the church fathers, saints and Bible commentaries.
I pray for you:
May the Lord make you attentive to his Word and instill in you the grace to grow in faith and the capacity for excellence, in Jesus name. Amen.
