27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (6th October 2013)- Gospel Reflection- "Increase our faith" INCREASE OUR FAITH- SUNDAY 6th OCTOBER 2013, Luke 17:5-19 The Gospel this week presents the Apostles asking our Lord to increase their faith. The good Lord replies, “Were your faith the size of a mustard seed you could say to the mulberry tree, be uprooted and planted in the sea, and it would obey you.” For Thomas Aquinas, faith means the upward movement of the intelligence to something believed as true. To believe and accept something means one turns away from that which is not true, or doubtful, it also means turning away from fear and doubt. In this Year of Faith we have been asked to learn of Jesus Christ and to grow in knowledge of him and his life. While it is easy to spend our days praying and wondering, St. Thomas encourages us in this year to study, to read and to become obsessed with wanting to know more about the Lord Jesus. For Aquinas, the more we know, the more we grow in love, in fact the more we fall in love, for “Love follows Knowledge.” In any relationship we have to get to know the other person. When we meet a new friend we want to spend time with them, listening to them and learning all about them. We too, when we feel safe and secure, will want to tell them about ourselves, our families, interests and our life’s journey. By the end of a few encounters with the person, we can know if true friendship will come about. The same is for Christ Jesus, everything about him is true, in fact he is Truth. Everything about him is good, for he is Goodness. Everything about him is love, for he is Love made flesh. Christ Jesus desires us to grow in knowledge of him, to spend time reading and rereading his life as contained in the Holy Gospels. He wishes for us to grow in love of him, and this comes about through our knowledge of him. He is the true friend, one who can be trusted, one who listens and most importantly one who promises you life, and life to the fullest. If you wish to increase your faith, grow in your knowledge of the Lord for he is the inexhaustible book of life in which you will discover true love. "Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen." St. Thomas Aquinas, O.P. Fr John Walsh OP
Posted on: Sat, 05 Oct 2013 13:07:29 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015