Faith: Anchor Of Our Spiritual Life

𝐎𝐂𝐓. 𝟓, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐇 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐈𝐍 𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐘 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝟏: 𝐇𝐚𝐛 𝟏:𝟐-𝟑; 𝟐:𝟐-𝟒

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦: 𝐏𝐬𝐚 𝟗𝟓:𝟏-𝟐, 𝟔-𝟕, 𝟕-𝟗 “𝐈𝐟 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞, 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬.”

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝟐: 𝟐 𝐓𝐢𝐦 𝟏:𝟔-𝟖, 𝟏𝟑-𝟏𝟒

𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋: 𝐋𝐊 𝟏𝟕:𝟓-𝟏𝟎

𝑲𝒆𝒚 𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆: “𝑰𝒏𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒕𝒉.” (𝒗.5) 

Many of us who read this gospel passage for today are probably asking what may have moved the Apostles to ask their Master to “𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒕𝒉.” And many of us also at some point in time may have asked God to also increase our faith.

Perhaps some will ask why? Isn’t faith one of the three theological virtues that has been infused in us at the time of our baptism as we learned from our catechism class? Thus, it presupposes that everyone has faith.

         True indeed, everyone has faith but the circumstances in our lives dictate the degrees of faith that a person may have. For those who find their lives going in the way they planned it to be they probably will have no need to ask for an increase in their faith if ever they believe in such.

As for those who find themselves holding on to the shorter end of the stick with their careers, studies, relationships hitting rock bottom, they probably will be asking God for an increase in their faith if ever God will be the first they will think of in times of adversity.      

         What then is faith? Why is it necessary? Why, because faith is a gift from God since the power to believe can only be attained through the Grace of God who bestows the knowledge of the truth and the gift of faith on those who strive after it with perseverance, who live a God-fearing life and, who pray that they may find the truth.

         Although St. Paul tells us that “𝒃𝒚 𝑮𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒕𝒉, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔” (𝑬𝒑𝒉 2:8) but we, as Catholics, still must believe in the doctrines of our Catholic faith because the absence of such is like a home without a foundation.

         And just like when a church bell with a crack loses its value or when one disjointed note destroys the harmony of a melody, so the rejection by a person of even one of the doctrines of the Church makes faith impossible. Take for example the controversial bill on divorce. How could a person who has been baptized into the Catholic faith support this proposed legislation the ultimate end of which is to destroy life and relationships?

          Faith is like the root of a tree. A tree cannot exist without it. We too cannot exist nor hope to reach heaven without faith which is the key that opens the treasure-chest of all virtues. Faith is the lamp that will guide us in our journey towards our final destination.

         But faith alone is not sufficient. Our faith must be a living faith which means that we must add to it good works and we must confess it openly to others for “not everyone who says to me, ‘𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒅, 𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒅,’ 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒅𝒐𝒎 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝑭𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏” (𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒕 7:21).        

The five foolish virgins in 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭 𝟐𝟓:𝟏-𝟏𝟑 who were locked out had faith but no works. Faith without work is like a tree without fruit or a lamp with no oil. But lest we deviate from that which is necessary, good works can only be performed by someone who is clothed with sanctifying Grace and who loves God in his heart. And one of the ways to practice our faith is by serving in a ministry or apostolate in our Church or Community, especially in the difficult outreach missions where our faith is put to a test.

         As Christians we are commanded to also confess our faith by standing as a witness as to how we have been saved by Our God who created us, by Our Lord Jesus Christ who redeemed us from eternal damnation and, by Our Lord the Holy Spirit who continues to sanctify the work of our hands.

         Towards the end of this Gospel passage there is a message that tells us about the kind of service that we are to render not only for others but for God as well. But what Jesus was saying in this parable contradicts not only a common practice in today’s contemporary setting as it runs counter to what has become a tradition in the workplace.

         The Christmas season is just around the corner, and we can now feel the cool and soothing breeze brushing our cheeks. And in the corporate world, this season is highly anticipated because this is the time when mandated year-end benefits and bonuses are apportioned to the rank and file.

         To give out bonuses based on performance is not unusual and there are many companies, especially the ones that monopolize certain industries are known to hand out fat bonuses just to keep their top executives from looking elsewhere.

         In other words, expecting rewards for a job well done has become a practice not only in the corporate world but even in the most ordinary setting as supermarkets where tips are given to salaried bagmen, waiters, taxi-drivers, hotel doormen, bellboys, utility boys, or even in farmlands where farmhands are rewarded for a good harvest. You name it, just about everybody nowadays are and are expecting a reward for work they have put in.

         But Jesus in this parable is telling us that to perform our tasks in obedience to what we are supposed to do is our duty and that we haven’t done anything yet. Which is why there are some cultures where people are very particular to time. If they say they work an eight-hour shift, expect them to pack up after faithfully giving out an eight-hour workload.

         This is why Filipino workers for some reason are preferred especially overseas because they stand out as Filipinos are known to be industrious and diligent as they also work even beyond the required eight-hour shift sans the extra pay.

         And as dutiful servants we cannot obligate God to reward us for work that we put in in pursuit of our profession. Translated into our lives in the Church and or in the Community if ever we are involved in serving in a ministry or apostolate it means serving in relation to the gifts that we have received is our duty and that we should not think that God owes us. This is why we must practice our calling to serve in the Church relative to the gift we have received if it inconveniences us.

         To serve God by serving others in the Church and or Community is our response in praise and worship to him who ransomed us from our slavery to sin. Just as God came not be served but to serve (𝐌𝐤 𝟏𝟎:𝟒𝟓) so we too must toil in his vineyard because it is not only a privilege for those who are called but a sacred duty as well.

         And in everything that we do as professionals and or in Church ministry, we must not forget that it is God himself who calls each one of us to our vocation and God gives everyone the graces necessary to our calling.

As our vocation comes from God, in the end it is God whom we serve especially when it is done out of love flowing from our hearts. At some point in time, we leave the gods we have created for ourselves to serve the one true God which happens when we turn away from things that we idolize in our lives to serve him by serving others. (𝘌𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺 – 𝘖𝘤𝘵. 5, 2025)