Wednesday, 4th Week in Ordinary Time
“So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there… He was amazed at their lack of faith.”
How do you feel about the last part of today’s gospel reading? Jesus was unable to do great things in his own town. Why? Because of his townspeople’s lack of faith. Their lack of faith renders Jesus powerless to do any miracle among his own people.
We cannot overemphasize the fact that our unbelief hinders God or ‘disables’ God from performing mighty deeds. On the other hand, we cannot also overemphasize the fact that with enough faith on our part, God can and would perform mighty deeds for us and through us – and in our community.
What great things can happen in our midst and what great blessings can we receive if we have faith and trust in God. Our faith, as manifested in our trust and confidence in God, that is, in our willingness to let God be God in our life, allows the Lord to deliver us from anxiety and distress. This enables us to receive the blessing of peace that can only be experienced by a trusting heart. Our faith, as shown in our ability to move on and overcome our frustrations, regrets, and guilt about the past allows the Lord to give us new opportunities. This enables us to receive the blessing of a new life that can only be experienced by a grateful heart. Our faith, as evidenced in our spirituality and practice of stewardship, sharing everything we are and everything we have to our community, allows the Lord to bestow more blessings upon us. This enables us to share in God’s life, which is what grace is.
Faith is the master key of the Christian life. Jesus says, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed… nothing will be impossible for you.” With enough faith, miracles can happen in us and through us. And I am specifically referring to the miracle of conversion, renewal, and growth in our personal life and communal life; the miracle of healing, forgiveness, and reconciliation in our family; the miracle of “multiplication of loaves” in terms of sharing our time, talent, and resources in our parish community.
So, let us pray that we may have enough faith – faith that would allow God to perform mighty deeds or miracles for us and through us.
Parokya ni Osong 