The Gift of Faith

Homily for Friday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Faith is both a gift as well as one of the evangelical virtues. The gift comes to us from God, free of charge. The evangelical virtue, on the other hand, like all virtues is governed by our willingness to open our minds and hearts to accept it. With open minds we are able to cultivate the gift of faith.

In the Gospel text for today from St. Matthew, Jesus is preaching in his hometown. Rather than receive him with warmth and joy, the people react to him with suspicion and questions. They are completely focused on who they already think Jesus is – the son of the local carpenter who grew up in their midst and received the ordinary education that all children received in their faith. They wonder where he got his wisdom; they never allow the possibility that he came from God to enter their thoughts. They have made up their minds and are decidedly closed off to Jesus and his message.

As we consider our own faith, we might ask ourselves if we can sometimes stumble into the close-mindedness of this synagogue crowd. Each of us has heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ proclaimed over and over again. In addition, we have been exposed to the Hebrew Scriptures as well. Have we acquired the wisdom to which we have been exposed? Our faith asks us to trust in God. However, when we experienced the inevitable suffering of human life, we sometimes lose touch with that wisdom. While wisdom tells us to persevere, to keep seeking the light of understanding, we might be tempted to give up.

Today we celebrate the memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguori, a doctor of the church known for his simple, direct, and practical style of preaching and writing. Through his intercession, let us ask to grow in our faith. If we keep an open mind and an open heart, God’s grace will lead us. May the Eucharist we celebrate today aid us in our efforts to seek the light and wisdom to enable us to trust in God completely.