How Can I Know it’s the question we have been asking now for almost a month - and maybe for some - for a longer period of time in their life. You see life has lots of doubts and questions, and yet faith is an essential element to answering so many of them. That is why this Year of Faith announced by our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI is so very important. It is a call to a New Evangelization, it is an invitation to Re Discover the Joy of our Faith. It is a chance to remove the stumbling blocks (Mark 9:, 30-37, 38-48) that prevent us from truly becoming who God is calling us to be, and arriving where He desires us to be, with Him in Heaven. So we started by asking “How Can I know if I can start over if I Blew It?”, then we asked “How can I know if there is a God ?” and last week we asked “How Can I know If I am Thankful?” and this of course leads to where we are at now, continuing to desire to seek, find, knock and have the door of faith opened. But wait a minute, “How Can I know If I Have Faith?”
In the Gospel today (Mark 10:17-30) a young man comes to Jesus and says “what must I do to inherit eternal life”. Isn’t that what we would say too. Think of it, if we had been that young man with an opportunity to meet Jesus on the street, would that not be the eternal question we would ask? As the young man approaches Jesus you can sense in his question that seeking, knocking, searching that we have been talking about. It is around us everywhere.
People have more questions today then ever before. They wonder more, they inquiry more, they desire more. Yet we can’t presume that the content of our faith is accepted in our culture anymore, but what we can know is that people are desiring the Word of God more than ever, and its relevance is as profoundly needed as it has ever been. But in order to communicate it, we have to believe it, understand it and we have to live it authentically. Faith is not a routine.
So what is Faith - and how do I know if I have it?
Several months back I was travelling to New York when in the airport a gentleman who was sitting in the same departure lounge as I, came to me and said “Hey Father”. I looked at him, not recognizing him but believing that he was a Catholic, or at least should be one, I replied back. In a very chummy way he then asked “So where are you going?”, I replied back, “ Well to New York, are you?”. “Yep” was his replied, but somewhat subdued. Then came the moment. “I’m going for my nephew’s First Communion”. But his statement was not one of joy. I replied “Well that’s great”. His retorted “well maybe for you”. He continued, “ I am only going because it is my kid brother’s kid, and plus, my mother called me and said I should be there”. Our conversation continued briefly but what became so clear was that he not only had questions, he also had a lot of misconceptions.
So what is Faith - and how do I know if I have it? Three things if we are going to answer that.
1. We must ensure we are not “Prophets of Misfortune”: In the Gospel of today Jesus challenges the young man to go and sell all he had, and then come and follow Christ. Truly a challenge but certainly a sign of faith. What do we hold on to?
- what possession keeps us from surrendering to the Lord?
- what persons can stand in the way of us embracing Christ?
- what principle have we made for our life, not based in Christ, that is a stumbling block to embracing His will for our life?
- what prophetic wisdom of our own creation are we announcing which conflicts with the true Prophetic Word of Christ?
So often what stops us from living faith - well - is us! We want something our way, we desire to hold on to something for ourselves, we embrace a concept that we have created - about God, about our world, about a person, about the Church - and we say this is the way it is ! Never discussing or discerning with God in prayer if it is our truth or His! So our lives become, as Pope John XXII said on the opening day of the Second Vatican Council, the life of a prophet of misfortune.
So what is Faith - and how do I know if I have it?
2. We must ensure we are Established for Evangelization -"Evangelium" – "euangelisasthai" [Greek: "to preach the Gospel"] (cf. Lk 4:18). Anyone who has worked with me in the past 15 years of my priesthood knows that there are two phrases you can’t say around me “This project is impossible, or we have never done this before”.
In the Gospel of today - Peter came to Jesus somewhat frustrated and said Lord we have left everything and you want more.... well Jesus was calling the Apostles and Disciples even then to a new way - a deeper way - a way of developing an enthusiasm for our faith and inviting others to hear the message of salvation.
The New Evangelization, which actually started with Vatican II, has been a call by Blessed Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI to not only witness to those who have never heard of Jesus, but also to represent Jesus to those who are nominal in their faith. It is a call to be a speaker of God’s word, and to give a reason for the hope within you. (cf. 1 Peter 3:15) Today’s second reading from Book of Hebrew’s is powerful “ the word of God is living and active” (Hebrews 4: 12-13). We must be willing to make time to share what we have, and to re discover the joy of the faith we have. We have to ensure that no one gets lost in the crowd, everyone finds a place, and that there is not only something, but a place for everyone.
The words at the end of Mass “Go the Mass Has Ended” are not instructions giving permission to charge out to the parking lot and be the first in line at Timmy’s, or the stage direction for the choir to begin singing - they are a challenge to now go live what you have heard and been nourished in!
So what is Faith - and how do I know if I have it?
3. We must Set Ourselves Up for Success - Pope Benedict XVI at the conclusion of the First Session of the Synod of Bishops called to begin this New Evangelization and commence the Year of Faith, said to us that there are two keys which we must have to unlock the faith - “confessio” and “ caritas” or translated - Word and Action!
This is why the Catholicism Project we are offering as part of our Tuesday Night Together is so important - and one I hope you participate in. This is why our Lectio Divina as part of Sunday Night Vespers is so vital. Both of these give us a chance to unlock the treasure of our faith and put into action a deeper understanding of Him and His Word and how it applies to our daily life. If you are not participating in these then I ask you this - what are you doing then for the Year of Faith - it can’t be the same old - this year calls us to more! By saying we want more, our faith will be seen.
This year, the Holy Father is asking us to walk through the door of faith. As we deepen our understanding of the content of our faith, we will learn more fully what Jesus did for us on the cross and how he wants us to live. What’s more, as we grow in a “living recognition of the Lord Jesus, present in our lives” (Porta Fidei, 13).
This Year of Faith is about a little bit more...more of the Lord
This Year of Faith, is about answering “How Can I Know?”.
This Year of Faith is about inquiring and giving a little bit more to your life of faith - that which matters.
This Year of Faith is about growing a little bit more
If we are certain, that we are not “Prophets of Misfortune”, ensure we are Established for Evangelization, set Ourselves Up for Success, then unlike the young man in the Gospel we do not walk away sad, but do in fact, in the end, inherit eternal life.