Order: “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” (Mt 14: 27)

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “Faith is first of all personal adherence of man to God.” It means we must entrust ourselves wholly to God and believe absolutely in what He says, (CCC150). As disciples of Jesus Christ, we must listen to His word and act on them (Lk 6:47). We are to persevere in our walk with Jesus, remain firmly rooted in Him and established in our faith, and abound in thanksgiving, (Col 2:6-7), for there is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to man by which we are to be saved, except the Name of Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12).

And as we follow Jesus and His commandments with unwavering faith, when we cry out to Him,. He will save us from useless anxieties – what to eat, what to drink, what to wear (Mt 6: 33. Jesus will shield us from the storms of life, from our fears and from our sinful inclinations and give us the reward of eternal life. Therefore our Community Word for August reminds us that ‘Jesus saves all who have faith in Him.’

Our Theme for the First week is: We have faith in Jesus when we remain focused on Him. In the first reading, Elijah had defeated the 450 false prophets of Baal and when he prayed for rain, it rained after three years of drought. But he continued to focus on the miracles and failed to remain in communion with God. Similarly, Peter, at a word from Jesus, walked on water, but nearly drowned when he lost focus on Jesus and became distracted by the big waves around him. By wavering, his faith weakened despite having personally witnessed the many miracles that Jesus has performed in his presence. Both Elijah and Peter failed to stay focused on God. We are reminded therefore we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus that we may remain unwavering in faith. The Promise of the Week is: “The Lord himself will give his benefits; our land shall yield its increase. Justice shall walk before him, and salvation, along the way of his steps.” (Ps 85:13-14)

The Theme for the second week is: We have faith in Jesus when we persist in our prayers. The Canaanite woman persisted in appealing to Jesus to heal her daughter, though Jesus did not answer her and even the disciples tried to dissuade her from coming to Him. Because of her persistent faith, Jesus healed her daughter. As disciples of Christ, we have to follow the exhortation of St. Paul to “pray without ceasing…in all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus” (2 Thess 5: 17-18), for we do not know when and how Jesus will answer our prayers. However, we know in faith that Jesus hears and answers our prayers. The Promise of the Week is: “…Great is your faith. Let it be done for you as you wish.” (Mt. 15:28)

The Theme for the third week is: We have faith in Jesus when we proclaim Him as Son of the Living God. Just as Peter proclaimed Jesus as the Son of the Living God, we too, as disciples of Christ, should be ready to proclaim Him in our witness to what He has done for us in our lives. Then people will be encouraged to know more about Him and to follow Him. The Promise for the week is: “…Upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.” (Mt. 16:18)

Finally the Theme for the fourth week is: We have faith in Jesus when we deny ourselves, take up the cross and follow Him. As His disciples, we have to allow Jesus to constantly transform us and bring us to new life in the Spirit. By His mercy and grace, we can resist the attractions of the world, die daily to our self-centeredness, and persevere in following Jesus, who will lead us to a fruitful life here on earth and preserve us for eternal life (Jn12:24-25). The Promise for the week is: “…whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Mt 16:24b)

 

 

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Categories : Reflection