Reflection on Today's Readings, Saturday, 3rd Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1, January 30th, 2021
Texts: Heb. 11:1-2.8-19; Ps. Luke 1:69-75; Mark 4:35-41
Today's gospel reading tells us the situation of life in which God sleeps. Does God ever sleep? Sleep is an expression of weakness and imperfection in man. God does not sleep, for it is said, "He will not let you fall; your protector is always awake. The protector of Israel never dozes or sleeps" (Ps. 121:3-4). First, the sleeping of Jesus Christ, in the gospel reading, shows that Jesus Christ slept during His earthly life and as such shows that He is human, bearing our weakness and imperfections. Second, it expresses a situation of life in which faith is put to the test; it is a moment to prove one's faith. Hence, Jesus said to them, "Why are afraid? Have you no faith?" The sleep was not ordinary, a kind that shows weakness and imperfections. It is not normal to sleep in such a situation described in the reading: "And great storm of wind arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already filling." This reminds us that there are moments in life that faith is being put to the test. Every faithful one has one or two stories to tell. Such moments may not end till death. Some challenges we had passed through and some that are still confronting us are meant for us to prove our faith, faith in Jesus Christ and His Father.
Today's first reading focuses on faith. It is by faith that we win God's approval. It defines faith as "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." From the definition it is clear that it is impossible to enter into relationship with God without faith. Penny Catechism tells us that "God has no body; he is a spirit" (no. 23). Being a spirit He is invisible, it is through faith that He becomes real and present to us. By faith we have the conviction that the God we do not see exists. Hence, faith makes God real and present such that we can have relationship with Him.
It is faith that gives the assurance of our hope in God, for it is by that we know that God is faithful, loving and good. Faith tells us that God is faithful and the truth; He does not change. By these truths of faith, we have the assurance that what God promised He will fulfill. What we hope for and await is the fulfilment of God's promise. While we await the fulfilment of God's promise in hope, by faith we trust Him who made the promise and obey Him. Hence, it is said, "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was to go."
Without faith hope becomes a mere presumption; something tied down in future and will never come to pass. It is by faith that what is promised come to pass in time and space. Hence it is said, "By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised."
Faith makes one to break through all the odds against our hope; it makes us to see the bright light at the end of a dark tunnel and to walk through it into the light. Hence, it is said, "By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only-begotten son, of whom it was said, 'through Isaac shall your descendants be named.' He considered that God was able to raise men even from the dead; hence he did receive him back and this was a symbol." It is a symbol in the sense that it points to Jesus Christ who gave up His life for our salvation trusting God who is able to give Him back his life; and indeed, God raised Him from the dead and gave Him back His life. This reveals the mystery of the life in Christ, for He says, "Anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it" (Mark 8:35). It is by faith we give up our lives to God, trusting Him to give us back at the resurrection. It is lack of faith that makes us hold on to our lives and deny God when it matters most.
God our Father, by Your grace may our faith be strong and hope be made firm so that Your promises may be fulfilled in our lives. Amen.
Fr. Andrew Olowomuke
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