23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time | 7 Habits of Highly Effective Catholics - Habit 1, Faith
[Father Paul]
This week, I'm going to start another series of homilies. My last series was about doubt and faith; I even shared some of the demons I wrestled with. The series was entitled "Tell my why." Why should I believe? Why should I have faith? It came down to two things: first, believing in Jesus works in your life, at least it works in mine. But even more than that, I reached a point in my life when I just admitted that Jesus was real and said I was sorry for doubting. I just surrendered to Him. That's the real reason for my joy.
Now, I would like to start a new series. This one is based on a series of homilies a few years ago entitled “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Catholics.” I’m still struggling over that word "effective," it might sounds like a talk on personal productivity. In fact, it was based loosely on the book by Stephen Covey, which is almost the same name (7 Habits of Highly Effective People). Like Covey, I start with three interior habits, mine are faith, prayer, and study. The second three exterior habits are worship, evangelization and service. Like Covey's “sharpening the saw" habit, the final habit in the series gives life to the other six: conversion or renewal.
So, today, let's talk about faith. I've already spoken about faith from the perspective of doubt (in my last series, “Tell me why.” Today, I would like to approach faith from the perspective of power. Faith gives us the power to be good Christians, good followers of Jesus, and good Catholics. With faith, it is possible to follow Jesus and enjoy the rewards of discipleship. Faith allows us to receive the grace of joy and happiness that Jesus promises. And this kind of faith is so badly needed today, especially as more and more young people continue to drift away from Church.
The context here is important. Our response to today's culture and all the problems associated with it, needs to be original, courageous, loving and universal. This is how the Church has responded to its culture in every age - whether the missionary zeal of St. Paul, the brilliance of St. Augustine or St. Thomas Aquinas, the depth of St. Theresa of Avila, the simplicity of St. Theresa of the Little flower, or even the energy and love of St. Theresa of Calcutta or St. John Paul II. They were responding to the day's culture through the grace of the Holy Spirit. We still need that today because people are still hungry for God, just as they were 2000 years ago.
Those saints that I just mentioned, it wasn't through their own efforts that they were able to accomplish so much. It was because they believed. That's what I mean when I say faith gives us the power to transform our world.
I have a story to illustrate: I went to a youth camp near Algonquin Park a few years ago. One of the exercises had the children climb up a very tall pole. Once they got to the top, they had to jump off and catch a banana that was dangling from the air (not a real banana, but it was a real pole, and it was really high!). Of course, everything was safe, the children wore harness and it was impossible for them to be injured. Obviously. The problem was, as safe as it was, it was still scary. So they added a platform about a third of the way up just n case one of the kids chickened out. But sometimes, even if they were on this lower platform, they would be paralyzed by fear. Today's first reading is relevant here: "Say to those who are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.”
My question is this: That was about 8 years ago, and those kids still aren't up there. Eventually, they come down, and the only way down is to jump. What finally wins them over? It's faith. Not even faith in a supernatural sense, just the strongly held conviction that jumping off will be safe. Then, once they believe it, they are able to jump.
I share this story with our young people making confirmation, because during the confirmation ceremony, the children make an act of faith. This is no coincidence. Like the child on the platform, it if faith that leads to the gifts of the Holy spirit and the strengthening of one’s convictions. If that little boy or girl summons up enough faith to jump of that little ledge even a few feet off the ground, Imagine what we are capable of if we even had a little bit of faith in God?
“Then", as Isaiah says,
“The eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf shall be opened;
then the lame shall leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness
and streams in the desert
the burning sand shall become a pool
and the thirsty ground springs of water.”
In other words, the Kingdom of God is at hand, and everything is going to work out ok. Everything is going to be fine. And you can be a Holy Christian, an effective Catholic, a good person.
But, like the little boy on the platform, terrified for his life, it is our faith that is going to be the necessary ingredient to transform this world into the Kingdom of God and to experience the joy of being a child of God.
So, let us stand and make a profession of faith:
Do you believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth?
I do.
Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary, was crucified, died, and was buried, rose from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father?
I do.
Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting?
I do. This is our faith. This is the faith of the Church. We are proud to profess it, in Christ Jesus our Lord.
All: Amen
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