PROMISE AND FAITH.
August 7, 2022.
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – C.
“Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence
of things not seen.” Heb 11:1
A Hungarian proverb says: “A promise is a nice word, if kept
then it is all right.” And a Japanese proverb adds: “Eggs and promises are
easily broken.”
Two weeks ago, while speaking of prayer, we said that as
Christians, we live by the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love. It is
through the grace of those virtues we relate to God and rely on him.
The word of God, on this 19th Sunday in the Ordinary Time
emphasizes two of these virtues, faith, and hope. It speaks of promise, the
assurance of the fulfillment of these promises, and the abidance of the people
to those promises.
A promise by itself is a call for hope. And faith is what
nourishes and keeps burning that hope. Invested with firm faith and strong
hope, one fears nothing. Without faith, no one can have hope. And without hope
life loses its savor.
We could then be tempted to ask ourselves, what is hope? And
what is faith? The answer is well given in the readings. The author of the book
of Wisdom recounts the history of Israel as a call for obedience and a
fulfillment of a promise. The Lord promised land to his people and to bring
this promise about, he punished great nations before them and defeated their
enemies. The events that surrounded the Passover in Egypt are proof of that. On
the other hand, what he asked of his people was obedience, an act of faith to him,
and in the promise. The lecture of the past gives the people the courage to
hope for a better future. If God has been faithful to his promises in the past,
how much more will he be in the present? Faith and obedience, therefore, should
be the answer to the Lord.
The letter to the Hebrews comes with the most beautiful and
most detailed biblical definition of faith. We read: "Faith is the
realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen." As we
can notice, faith cannot be defined by itself without hope. For, genuine faith
is attached to a promise. It is because God made us a promise of the life that
we set our faith firmly rooted in him. And the letter to the Hebrews can give
the example of Abraham, our ancestor in faith. “By faith, Abraham obeyed when
he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; he
went out, not knowing where he was to go.” Abraham did so because he knew that
the one who made him the promise of a Land and numerous offspring was faithful
to his covenant. He moved by faith, not by sight. And the faith of Abraham was
not without trials and challenges.
When one is firmly rooted in his faith, he fears nothing.
Even the uncertainties of life become a reason for greater trust and
surrendering to God’s will. Thus, the Lord Jesus, in the Gospel can start
exhorting: “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is
pleased to give you the kingdom.” God is pleased to give to those who believe
in him and set their hope in him alone, all that is necessary for their life.
Let’s recall to mind the exhortation of last Sunday: “Take care to guard
against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of
possessions.” The vanity of this world, the greed for possessions, and materialism
are not assurance for a life without end. Faith, hope, obedience to God’s will,
and love are that which assure life. As the exhortation goes on, the Lord tells
us that our priority should be to store our treasures in heaven. And it is only
out of faith, hope, and charity or almsgiving that one becomes rich in heavenly
realities.
We are mere stewards of God’s property. Therefore, we should
behave as people entrusted with something that they will be held accountable
for. That is, to use all we possess in accord with God’s will and be watchful
of our behavior and actions. Another attitude of faith in the Lord is to be
vigilant. Thus, the exhortation: “Gird your loins and light your lamps and be
like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open
immediately when he comes and knocks.” In faith and with firm hope, we are
called to be always ready for the Lord when he comes to save his people and
bring liberation to all the creation. The image of Abraham and the ancestors
who kept faithfulness to the Lord must inspire us in everything we do and at
every moment of our lives.
Three things could be the requirement of the Lord for us in this 19th Sunday, and also for our life as Christians: Faith, hope in the fulfillment of God’s promises, and vigilance. And besides, we must keep vivid this warning from the Lord: “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.” God has made us many promises to which he has always been faithful. He has shown us his infinite love and made us stewards of his creation… For all these, he will require from us a faithful account.
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