27/10/2024

Thirtiefth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Baptism of Beatrice

“Go, your faith has saved you.”

Our life is shaped by our three B’s: Our belonging, believing and behaving.

Today, Beatrice starts to belong to the Church. Gradually her friends – including her family – as well as schools, will teach her the Catholic Faith, her believing, and that will shape her behaving; the sort of person she will become.

The blind man’s faith enabled him to see. Faith – as perception – enable us to see reality as it is; in an enlightened way.

God is, as gravity, everywhere which, though, unless you jump or drop something, you forget it’s there. Dropping into prayer reminds us of God’s presence.

Faith enables us to see the creator in every creature. Faith furnishes us with hope for the future and gratitude for the past and present.

Faith helps me focus on the white rather than the black squares on the chessboard of  life.

As you know, ‘faith’ is not a verb. Its verb is ‘believe’. If I have ‘faith in you’, I believe you. I trust you – as I trust everything Jesus Christ said.

If I believe in living for others, that value faith furnishes me with the virtue of generosity – and, as we saw last week, a growing number of friends.

“Believing in God” is, not merely the acceptance of the reality of the Creator, but an ongoing commitment to God – no matter what goes on around us.

I am hugely grateful to God for giving me my faith in God. Without that faith, life is hollow. Thanks to faith in God we have hope and love. Life becomes a joy-filled aria. 

I pray that Beatrice will be, indeed, saved  and not only delight in life but become a delight for those she meets as she journeys on to eternity.