Where is your Faith?

Faith¹ is invincible— fear is conquerable.
Faith leads us to life— fear drives us towards death.

1. Faith in God.

Once again, Simon Peter is sinking into troubled waters, for the weakness of Faith.
Pestilence strikes us and fear of death causes our weak Faith to sink into the mire of surrounding tribulation.
We need to focus more on Jesus— rather pestilence, which is around us.
Remember, God is in the city, it cannot fall… God is with us. [Psalm 46:5]
Our God is a God, who saves. [Psalm 68:20]

As in the times of King David, when Epidemic struck the land, he chose to submit himself to the great mercies of God. [2 Sam 24:13-15]
Instead of trusting our lives to the Mercy of God, we are demonstrating the weakness of our Faith, by falling prey to the fear of pestilence.

When hand sanitizer takes precedence over Holy water ( that is Blessed during Easter, to banish the unclean spirits; to trample the complete strength of the enemy; to cure every kind of uncleanness and infections)  for safe guarding life, what remains of our faith? What kind of Faith do we profess?
When a reverential kiss in veneration of Crucified Christ, is avoided for the fear of contamination, what kind of Holy reverence do we profess?

Our Faith will count to be of more worth, in the eyes of God, if we stand firm in our Trust in HIM— in these difficult times.


As in the times of Prophet Moses, when people were bitten by fiery serpents, for their disloyalty against Yahweh. [Numbers 21:9]
We need to look with Faith and Hope on the standard of Christ ( who suffered; died and Resurrected for our salvation )


The first Christians sacrificed their lives and saved their Faith in God ( and saved their soul ).
Where is our Faith?— that we are giving in to panic and fear and shrinking from our Christian duties.

Once again, the Shepherd is struck and the sheep are scattered.
We are betraying our Trust in God, in the face of pestilence (in the fear of death ).
The Lord says: "Anyone who loses his life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it." (Mark 8:35)
Losing our life for God's sake doesn't necessarily mean yielding to death— rather, to act prudently in Faith and to put our lives in HIS care ( to HIS great Mercy ).

Once again, the Disciples cry out in fear: "save us Lord, lest we perish".
And even in these troubled times, we will still hear HIM say: "why are you so frightened, you who have so little faith?"

Our God is always with us, to calm all our fears and anxieties.


Not far from our own times, in 1854, when Turin (Italy ) was struck with Cholera epidemic,  St. Don Bosco, along with his oratory boys,  demonstrated his heroic Faith, by helping and serving the abandoned cholera victims— without he or his boys contracting the fatal disease. And St. Mother Teresa, is another great example for our times— who served the lepers, in her great Trust in God.


Christ has won victory over death and sin.
As we prepare our hearts in repentance and our trust in God, during this lent, are we going to let fear become victorious over our weak Faith?

What kind of Easter are we going to celebrate?

Let our Faith in God, become victorious in the Resurrected and Triumphant Christ—and let fear be vanquished from our hearts.


P.S. The Church has certainly not acted Prudently in Faith, in this respect.
Corona virus pandemic has induced fear in many hearts and has scattered their Faith in God.
And many tribulations of such kind might happen in the future.

Are we going to let our Faith suffer in the face of fear?

All these catastrophic events with reference to our Faith in God, allude to Jesus's words:
"But when the Son of man comes, will he find any Faith on earth?"  (Luke 18:8).

P.S. I am glad, Bishop Pascal Roland (Belley-Ars, France) is acting Prudently in Faith, on his part, for his Diocese.

Faith

Lack of Faith in God, gives rise to lack of Reverence.
Lack of Reverence to God, gives rise to lack of Obedience to God.
Lack of Obedience to God, gives rise to misery¹ and sin and lack of Peace.

1. Human misery is because— we do not trust wholeheartedly in the Divine Commandment of God, to govern our life.
No human law can put rein to human wickedness and alleviate the difficulties of life.

Living by the Spirit of God

Human nature is weak and is more bent towards sin.
Sin will continue to dominate our flesh, as long as we are inclined to live by our natural inclinations¹.
When we choose to live by the Spirit², the Spirit inclines our heart towards the love of God— to live humbly and obediently, in the reverence of God.
Consequently, wicked nature begins to subside— when God's presence is enthroned in our heart.
Sin no longer continues to tyrannize our flesh, when Faith and Love begins to live in our life.

1. Natural inclinations are inclined towards fulfilling selfish and disordered desires of the flesh.
Natural inclinations follow human principles and is opposed to God's  Commandment of Love.  Natural inclinations burden  and attack our soul— with sin.

2. To commit our daily life to Prayer; to Faith ( be calm and believe that God is always with us ); to Reverence (doing our daily work, to the best of our ability, as done for God); to loving and understanding others; Spiritual reading (reading Holy Bible and lives of Saints); to Charity and to deeds of Mercy— as much as opportunities and circumstances allow. Frequently receiving Holy Sacraments viz. Holy Eucharist and Confession. Fasting (when inspired by God ) in the honour of God. Doing little sacrifices— abstaining from certain habits and activities that do not lead us towards God.

Remember, God loves a cheerful giver— so do everything cheerfully, without reluctance or under compulsion.

Healing

Where there is Love and Charity¹ — there is healing².
Where there is Forgiveness and Mercy— there is healing.
Where there is Faith and Hope— there is healing.
Where there is Repentance and amendment of life— there is healing.
Where there is Gratefulness to God— there is healing.

1. Almsgiving and helping the needy.

2. God's healing and saving Grace flows into our heart and our life, to heal us and restore us— in HIM.

Love

Only, Love¹ more— and sin no more.

1. Love, that brings Peace; Trust and Joy.
Love, that respects God.
Love, that respects human dignity.
Love, that helps one to grow into children of God.

Anything that is against the path of Love, is the covetous desire, that masquerades as "True Love"— only to harm and ruin relationship.

Priority of our life

Everything suffers, when we live according to our priorities¹— rather than the priorities of God.
Our priorities affect the quality of life that we live and the relationship that we share.

No matter what your profession is; no matter what the state of your life is; no matter what your agenda for your life is— let God be the first priority of your life.
Doing things according to God's priority will bring order and Peace to our life.
God's priority and God's most Holy will for our life is— living according to the Commandment of Love— being Loving and Forgiving; being Patient and Understanding.

Good relationship is the key ingredient of our life.
God's priority grants us the Grace to live our life worthily (in the honour of God) and enables us to handle every relationship.
With God's priority, we can live any² kind of life and traverse through any circumstances— with Peace in our heart.

1. Our priorities are for our own selfish needs. Our priorities are egocentric— which may disagree with other person's priority. Conversely, God's priorities are for the common good of all.

2. Single; married or consecrated life.

Faith and unbelief

To live¹ with God, is Faith.
To live without God, is a sin².

1. To live according to God's Commandments.

2. Our unbelief ignores and detests God.
Our unbelief directly opposes and defies God.
Our unbelief estranges us from God.
Our unbelief refuses God's Loving Mercy and Kindness.
Our unbelief hurts God more than any other sins.