BELIEF VS. UNBELIEF
After the wonderful experience of the Transfiguration, Jesus now takes the disciples
back to reality. We, too, are in the same predicament. After the
wonders of this Easter season, we now go back to reality.
The boy we hear about in the Gospel today is in a terrible fit.
Violence possesses him and throws him into the fire. At the sight of
Jesus, the boy is
thrown into epilepsy, a terrible nervous disorder that throws one into
convulsions. Jesus’ own disciples cannot pacify the boy. The father of
the child is at his wits’ end. He has faith but he tells Jesus to help
his unbelief. The situation is a desperate one and desperate measures
are called for. With the powerful Word of Jesus, the boy is brought back
to himself and, regaining consciousness, goes on his way. The
mysterious healing of the boy can
only be explained by prayer. Elsewhere, the evangelist adds fasting.
There is power in prayer. When all else fails, prayer is the key that
unlocks every mystery. Prayer brings about peace and order. It drives
away all doubt and brings our minds to rest. It has the power to break
evil bondages and sin. We must allow Jesus to speak His Word into our
hearts and bring us
healing and deliverance. Notice that Jesus is very specific in His
prayer. The Gospel teaches us to be specific in what we ask of the
Father.
“I do have faith, help my unbelief.” These words resonate within us as
we notice our lack of trust and faith in the Lord at times. Sometimes,
our faith
is tested and needs to be purified. The Gospel teaches us that we can
never take faith for granted; it is a gift of God. It would be good to
reflect upon our faith in the Lord. The Gospel is an honest call to us. Do we truly believe in Jesus? Fr. Brian Steele, MGL
REFLECTION QUESTION: Are there areas in your life that you lack faith in?
Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment