Posted on August 3, 2024
Catechism Meditation:
Man, tempted by the devil, let his trust in his Creator die in his heart and, abusing his freedom, disobeyed God’s command. This is what man’s first sin consisted of. All subsequent sin would be disobedience toward God and lack of trust in his goodness. ―No. 397
REFLECTION. The catechism says of original sin that man let his trust in His creator die in his heart and, abusing his freedom, disobeyed God’s command… All subsequent sin would be disobedience toward God and lack of trust in His goodness. We see a similar lack of trust when Jesus went back to his hometown of Nazareth and begins teaching. The gospel says that they were astounded at his wisdom and his mighty works, but then their preconceived notions get in the way. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? And so they took offense at him” (Mark 6:3). It’s understandable that it was probably a bit mystifying to have had a prophet in their midst and not know it all those years. His humble origins rule out anything special. But what comes next is their downfall—pride. Sadly, the story goes on, “Jesus was unable to perform any mighty deeds there, aside from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith” (Mark 6:5-6).
Isn’t that our story too? Evidence of God’s miracles are all around us—in creation, in the miracle of life, the intricacies of the human body, the seasons, and the sea and the mountains. And yet, we have an amazing lack of faith. Some people’s doubts arise from immature faith or erroneous understandings of the faith. Some have their own ideas about God, false or narrow ideas, and their faith is shattered when God doesn’t fit into their preconceived ideas.
So, what can we learn from all of this? How do we increase our faith? How does it grow within us? We need to turn to God and work on believing in His goodness and love for us. We can start by praying and meditating on God’s goodness, examining our preconceived notions about God, and ask God, through the Holy Spirit, to give us the grace to see and understand Him as He truly is. Ultimately, we can simply approach Jesus with an open heart, ask Him to strengthen us to believe, and to live the faith we have received. Imagine how the Nazarenes’ lives would have changed if they had approached Jesus with faith. At the same time, one must always be humble in the pursuit of truth. Faith is ultimately a gift from the Lord, so we must pray for that gift. Keeping this in mind we should ask daily, as the disciples did: “Lord, increase our faith” (Luke 17:5), so as we may open ourselves more and more and let His love work in us.
PRAYER. Dear Lord, when doubts and fears arise, strengthen my faith to stand firm. Help me to remember that You are my refuge and fortress, and that I can trust in Your unfailing love.
Timeless Wisdom Quote:
“The love of Christ is neither to be feared nor to be rejected; rather, it is to be received and accepted with an open heart.” ― Venerable Fulton J. Sheen
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