"Faith is the realization of what is hoped for . . ."
Luke 12: 32-48
The Word: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/081025.cfm
Blaise Pascal, a 17th century French
philosopher and theologian, developed an argument that goes like this: “Believing
in God is the safer bet even if you’re unsure whether he exists.” It’s
called Pascals wager.
The reasoning goes like this:
-If you believe in God and God exists, you gain
eternal happiness.
- If you believe in God and God does not exist, you
lose very little.
- If you don’t believe in God and God does exist, you
face eternal loss
- If you don’t believe in God and God doesn’t exist,
you gain very little.
Therefore, from a purely rational perspective, belief in God is the “safer bet.”
One would gain more to believe in God than to not do
so. While this argument does not prove whether God exists or not, it is a
beginning point to faith.
Taking risks in life, many benefits of those risks
would have never happened. But from a
Christian perspective, faith is not something we gamble like a game, but it is
a gift we should pray for. Again, should
I pray to a God I may not believe in or at least have some doubt. The answer would be, why not try to act as if
you did believe in him? You really have nothing to loose if you try and possibly
everything to gain. Speak and act as if you do believe. As Pascal said: “live
as if God is real and see what happens.”
Our second reading this Sunday from Hebrews offers us
the classic biblical definition of faith: “Faith is confident assurance
concerning what we hope for, and conviction about things we do not see.”
Every one of the above examples demanded a level of trust in the unknown and
when God is involved it may call for a particular heroic faith. This we find in
the example of Abraham.
To form one’s life around that faith is both risky and
rewarding. Yet, we know that believing in something greater than ourselves will
not only bring us motivation but may also assure us about a conviction that
will provide lifelong direction. Here we see great confidence not especially in
my ability to carry out a tough task but a confidence born that if I step aside
and let God take the lead, great things will be accomplished. Abraham is the
spiritual model for believers and for anyone who suffers from an uncertain faith.
Belief in the supernatural and that great leap to God himself is quite
impressive.
If, as Hebrews tells us, “Faith is confident
assurance . . . what we hope for” then we must recognize it as a
gift. It is grace from God. Faith is a seed planted in our hearts and nurtured
through our life experience, strengthened by the support of others, the
inspiration of others, personal prayer and participation in a faith centred
community such as a parish, participation in a sacramental life, and a serious
approach to the question of God in my life. Abraham learned, through his
obedience, as Mary did through hers, that though God’s will is often not clear,
to follow it anyway brings great rewards and benefits.
The Gospel this Sunday provides assurance. We are not
only asked to prepare wisely for the “master’s return” but to do so with the
promise that our preparation will not go unnoticed or be without success. The
Lord (master) will come and find us not wanting. In other words, we live by a
faith that is active and to be about what God has called us to do knowing that
in the end, like Abraham, we are following his will not for personal fame or
gain but to serve him. In that
perspective is great joy and confidence that all will be well.
We might think of the following example:
There is a true story told about Mother Teresa in
Calcutta, India. A priest came to the
“house of the dying” to ask Mother Teresa about his future. One morning Mother Teresa met this priest
after Mass at dawn.
She asked, “What can I do for you?” The priest asked her to pray for him. “What do you want me to pray for?” Mother
Teresa asked him. He said, “Pray that I
have clarity.”
Mother Teresa curtly answered, “No.”
Confused the priest asked why she said “no” she told
him that clarity was the last thing he should cling to and had to let go
of. The priest then commented that she
herself had always seemed to have the clarity he longed for. She laughed, “I have never had clarity; what
I’ve always had is trust. So, I will
pray that you trust.”
It was said that she lived for most of her life in a
spiritual darkness, unaware whether God was guiding her or not.
Jesus’ gift of self in the Eucharist has come to us
through suffering but offers us the conviction found in trust that with God all
will be well.
Let us pray:
Almighty ever-livinng God, whom, taught by the Holy Spirit
we dare to call our Father, bring to perfection in our hearts
the spirit of adoption as your sons and daughters,
that we may merit to enter into the
inheritance which you have promised.
(Collect of Sunday)
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