In the first reading today from Acts, we hear a story of faith. Faith that has the power to heal. Faith that helps us meet our challenges. Faith that helps us reach out to the our fellow man in love. Faith that allows us to rejoice in our relationship with God.
Paul is truly present in faith with the man who has been lame since birth. Paul looks at the man and sees that his faith allows him to be healed. Even though this lame man is healed, many in the crowd do not understand what was happening. Some in the crowd want to give Paul the credit for what he has done, not giving credit to God or to the faith of the man who was healed. But, in the psalm today, it is proclaimed: “Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory.” However, so often, we, in our human nature want to be given the credit and the glory.
Faith is a gift from God. It is only through God’s grace that we have faith. In an Angelus message in St Peter’s square in 2013, Pope Francis asked the crowd present: “How do we obtain this power (of faith)?” Pope Francis answer this question by stating: “We obtain (faith) from God in prayer. Prayer is the breath of faith: in a relationship of faith, of love, one can’t omit dialogue, and prayer is the dialogue of the soul with God.” May the Lord help us in our prayers. May the Lord help us in our faith.
No comments:
Post a Comment