March 10, 2024: The Habit of Faith Properly Lived

“What does a ‘habit of faith’ actually mean?” Father tells us that the Gospel of John lays this out perfectly for us- but it’s in the Greek. “So must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” Father directs us to the word that John uses for “believes”… the Greek word is “Pisteuó” which doesn’t mean just an act of faith in a moment, but rather a continuous habit… an action that is “customary and habitual” for the individual. Father then directs us to another part of the verse, “in Him” which in the Greek means “ in what He says”. “So what’s understood here is that those who have the habit of receiving the Gospel that Jesus proclaims, with the readiness to allow that Word to inform and transform one’s life… that person will have eternal life.” We learn that in the next sentence, the phrase “believes in Him” translates to “believes INTO Him”. Meaning that it’s not just enough to be receptive of His word but to believe INTO Him to where we are “connected to His very personhood, so we become one with Him. Where we think what He thinks, we value what He values, and ultimately we love as He loves.” Fourth Sunday of Lent: First Reading: Second Chronicles 36: 14-16, 19-23 Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 137: 1-2, 3, 4-5, 6 Second Reading: Ephesians 2: 4-10 Verse Before the Gospel: John 3: 16 Gospel: John 3: 14-21