Empowered by Faith

October 22, 2007

Monday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

By Beth DeCristofaro

Abraham did not doubt God’s promise in unbelief; rather, he was empowered by faith and gave glory to God and was fully convinced that what God had promised he was also able to do (Romans 4:21-22)

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people (Luke 1:66)

But God said to him, ‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’ Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God.” (Luke 12:21)

Piety

Good and loving God, empower me with the gift of faith to put you at the center of my self. May I recognize in you the treasure that I truly long for. May I act each day to give glory to you alone rather than to myself. Help me to live fully convinced that what you have promised you will give.

Study

http://www.usccb.org/nab/102207.shtml

It is astounding how rich, abundant and overreaching God’s love is. Abraham overcame doubts about the promises he heard by giving over himself to God. God not only made good on all His promises but He extended them to Abraham’s descendents. In the responsorial psalm from Luke, Zechariah prophesies of the fulfillment of God’s promise in the person of the baby Jesus, a promise God extends to the world. Jesus puts the fulfillment into perspective. Do not be greedy, he tells the listeners, but rather be “rich in God”. Earthly fulfillment is transitory and uncertain. God’s promise is beyond – beyond what we can imagine or think we want here in life.

This is awfully hard to grasp. Everyday we see things decaying, dying, falling apart, blowing up or blowing down. Life goes by, changes, ends, transitions. It is difficult to imagine a love so permanent and solid that it will never change or stop. In yesterday’s Gospel, Jesus told his disciples how important it is to pray always without becoming weary. (Luke 18:1) In order to be empowered by faith and to believe in such immutable love we must have hearts open to God. Recognizing God as our ultimate treasure means spending time with God.

Action

If God is our treasure, how do we share that treasure with others whom God loves equally? Sharing takes on a different meaning in this global economy. What do I do that has an impact upon someone else – negatively or positively – across the world? We don’t need to feel guilty because God put us where we are in order to be God’s hands and feet; but awareness and consequent choices are important.

Check out this interesting article on options for fair trade Halloween Candy: http://thegreenguide.nationalgeographic.com/