Faith
Faith guides us through the darkness of this world to eternal life.
Reading (Matthew 16: 13-18)
Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
Then he asked them, "Who do you say I am?"
Simon Peter spoke up: "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!"
Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church."
Song (Psalm 115)
Not to us, Lord, not to us
But to your name give glory
Because of your faithfulness and love.
Why should the nations say,
"Where is their God?"
Our God is in heaven,
Whatever God wills is done.Those who fear God trust in the Lord,
Who is their help and their shield.
The Lord remembers us and will bless us.
He will bless those who fear the Lord,
Small and great alike.
Reflection
Faith is a gift from God. It is offered to all men and women, but not all accept it. Those who do are guided by the light of truth. Those who do not remain in the darkness.With faith man comes to know spiritual truth. This truth cannot be discovered by man using his own intellect; it can be known only by revelation. What is revealed to the man of faith is not a private, but a historical and communal truth.
It is the truth that God sent his own beloved Son into the world to reconcile all things to himself. This Son gathered followers to himself, and they were eyewitnesses to his resurrection. They received the truth of faith from him and passed it on to the generations who came after them. This same faith is passed on to us.
What we have received is not true because it passes the test of human scrutiny, but because it comes from God. The community of believers who have passed it on to us have not added to it; rather they have preserved it faithfully as they received it from the beginning.
The faith that we profess today is the faith of our fathers, a holy faith, that guides us through the darkness of this world to eternal life.
Prayer
God our Father, you endowed us with the gift of intellect that we might know you, worship your glory, and find joy in your love for us. Open our hearts to the gift of faith, that we might grow in knowledge of the truth until we see you face to face in the kingdom of heaven.