It
is not the actual physical exertion that counts towards one's progress, nor the
nature of the task, but by the spirit of faith with which it is
undertaken.--Saint Francis Xavier: born Francisco
de Jasso y Azpilicueta (7 April 1506 – 3 December 1552) was a Roman
Catholic missionary and a co-founder of the Society of Jesus)
Gospel Text: (MK 16:9-15)
When Jesus had risen, early on the
first day of the week,
he appeared first to Mary Magdalene,
out of whom he had driven seven
demons.
She went and told his companions who
were mourning and weeping.
When they heard that he was alive
and had been seen by her, they did not
believe.
After this he appeared in another form
to two of them walking along on their
way to the country.
They returned and told the others;
but they did not believe them either.
But later, as the Eleven were at
table, he appeared to them
and rebuked them for their unbelief
and hardness of heart
because they had not believed those
who saw him after he had been raised.
He said to them, “Go into the whole
world
and proclaim the Gospel to every
creature.”
Today’s gospel passage contains only
seven verses but it mentions ‘faith’ four times. Particularly, Jesus scolds
his apostles because of their unbelief and stubborn hearts. And so therefore
let us reflect about faith. Jesus gives us the gift of faith to know Him more
personally and to understand the mystery of His death and resurrection. But is
faith something you ‘have’ or something you ‘do’? Many of us may think we have
faith because we were born to Catholic parents who saw to it that we were
baptized as infants. Faith doesn’t appear to be difficult because we use this
so fluently and so often. But try to look at it and tell me what it means. If I
ask no question about your answer, we may think the matter is clear but if I
ask a second or a third question we are both in the depths. It is because our
faith is unfathomable. It is a fact that God cannot be our ‘possession’ like we
possess other things. It is the other way around, we are possessed by God.
Amen
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