Daily Reflections- March 24, 2012

Pray for the Gift of Faith

 

An atheist went up the mountain to confront God. “If you are real, show yourself to me!” he demanded. Nothing happened. He demanded again, “If you really exist, speak to me. Show yourself that my eyes can see you.” At this, God showed Himself to the atheist. After the revelation, the atheist went down the mountain. The priest who knew what happened said to him, “Now, do you believe?” “No,” the atheist responded, “I’m not sure if who I saw was really God.”

For one who refuses to believe, no revelation is enough. The experience of faith, the experience of conversion, is not an experience of the eyes, the ears or the touch. It is an experience of the heart. That is why even if the eyes see, the ears hear, and senses feel, but if the heart refuses to believe, no conversion is possible.

In the Gospel, we hear of the people’s perception of the identity of Jesus. From the wonders He has been performing and from the authority of His teachings, the crowds proclaim, “This must be the prophet” and “He is the Messiah.” The Scribes and the Pharisees saw everything the crowds saw and heard everything the crowds heard, but they remained stubborn of heart. Instead of being led to believe in Jesus, they water down everything by the fact that Jesus “comes from Galilee,” not a place where prophets and messiahs emerge. Indeed, the senses may perceive, but if the heart does not believe, no conversion will happen.

Some say that the distance between the brain and the heart is only 17 inches. And yet, it can be the longest 17 inches in the world. The mind can easily say, “I believe,” or “I will be converted.” Unfortunately, the heart cannot and does not always follow what the mind dictates. As the Lenten antiphon declares, “If today you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts.” Let us ask Jesus for the grace of a united mind and heart. Fr. Joel Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: What area of your life needs the grace of conversion right now?

 

Lord Jesus, remove the scales from my eyes that I may see the splendor of Your truth. I open myself to the movements of Your grace. I receive the gift of faith. Amen.