In the light of faith

This weekend, the gathering of the faithful in the town of Temagami was numerous, despite the extreme temperatures - but no one is complaining because soon enough, the heat will be replaced with the chill of winter, and at least in this part of the country, we don't have to contend with flooding; the same cannot be said for other parts of this fair land.

Today, although there were forecasts of thunder showers, we have been blessed with marvellous sunshine and a continuation of the heat and humitidy from yesterday.  As it happens, the scripture passages for this weekend's Mass prompted a reflection on joy and on gratitude, for wonderful summer weather and for all good gifts received.

Guided by faith

On Friday of this past week, Pope Francis published his first Encyclical Letter, entitled Lumen fidei: The Light of Faith.  Encyclicals are one of the ways that the Popes teach us; they are letters addressed to all the baptised and they usually focus on one aspect of our Church’s teaching.  This most recent addition to the Magisterial documents is a combined effort because work on its words was begun by Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis has added his own touch in order to continue the work of his predecessor.

This is the kind of document that needs a bit of time in order to be read, pondered and properly understood, but in the light of the scripture passages we have heard today, we can already begin to understand the gift of our faith as a lamp that guides our feet (LF, 57).  This lamp not only guides us, it also teaches us to be joyful as we come to recognize the gift that has been entrusted to us, and it compels us to be generous in sharing the good news for the sake of those who are guided by the light of faith.

The Prophet Isaiah knew that the Jewish community of his time was living in an age of difficulty and trial.  Yet, he encouraged them to rejoice because of the promise spoken throughout the ages by the God of their ancestors.  The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God in whom Isaiah trusted, has also promised us that He will extend prosperity to us, like a river that flows continuously.  When God speaks of prosperity, he’s not thinking about material possessions – the wealth that passes away, but rather the true prosperity, the true joy that comes from knowing that we are deeply loved.  God loves us, each of us, with a love that is beyond anything that we can imagine.  He invites us to enter into this love, but he never forces us to accept his invitation.

The Apostle Paul, like all of us, had to come to an understanding of this invitation.  While he persecuted the early Christians, God waited patiently.  Only when he encountered the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus, did he begin to understand the power of Christ’s love, and in the light of this love, he discovered the joy that inhabits the hearts of all the disciples.  Each of us, once we have encountered the risen Jesus, is filled with this overpowering joy which is the gift of the Spirit.  This joy is contagious; it was the reason why Paul wrote to the Christian community at Galacia: May I never boast of anything except the Cross of Jesus Christ.  When we have experienced a personal encounter with Jesus, we come to understand that the love which he has for us is sweeter, more constant, more reliable than any other love that we might experience.  Jesus was even willing to endure even death in order to show us how much we are loved, and having come to know this depth of love, we are filled also with his joy.

Once we have tasted this joy, we gradually come to understand the depth at which it grabs hold of us, and as though in response, we are filled with a desire to tell others about Jesus, about the joy of knowing him.  In fact, his joy radiates from the faces and hearts of those who know him, so words are only needed on occasion. Sharing the good news of faith begins with generosity.  Saint Luke tells us that Jesus sent his apostles ahead of him.  These apostles had spent time with him, they had gotten to know him, they were inspired by his words, and they had begun to experience the truth of his wisdom in their own lives.  When he recognized their willingness to witness to the joy that they had come to know, he sent them to other places so that they could share this good news with others.  It’s the same with disciples today.  Jesus sends us out, and our task Is to tell others about the joy we have come to know, first and foremost by witnessing to His joy through the generosity with which we serve.  Generosity on the part of one person captures the heart of another, and once a heart has been ensnared by generosity, it is compelled to respond in generosity.

So here we have it: our homework for this week is to pray for one another, and to allow ourselves to experience the joy of knowing Jesus.  Has he invited you to encounter him?  Have you allowed yourself to experience such a meeting?  How has it changed you?  How is his joy evident in your life?  Be generous in sharing the good news that you have come to know.