Actualizing Faith - Fr. Paul - December 3, 2023

In today’s Gospel reading, we hear how Jesus healed the blind man, saying to him “your faith has made you well.” Fr. Paul expounds on the concept of faith and justification, quoting Galatians 2:16, in which the Apostle Paul explains, “Know that no man is justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.”The Apostle Paul, in his earlier days, sought to experience justification and salvation through the law. Only later, on the road to Damascus, did he realize that one comes to salvation and eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. This is how we, too, may experience salvation—through faith.Fr. Paul points out that if can be easy to profess faith, but harder to truly actualize it. He lists three things we need in order to accomplish this actualization. First is the help of God, the grace of God, synonymous with the Holy Spirit. We receive the power of the Holy Spirit through the sacraments, and it makes it possible for us to be with God. Second is knowledge of God. We gain knowledge of God through contemplation of God’s creation and through the Word of God itself. Finally, Fr. Paul stresses the importance of coming to church, which is exists to continue the ministry Jesus gave to us when He came to this earth.