Today, I believe the Scriptures challenge us to evaluate the “true depths” and the “daily consequences” of our “faith.” I believe they also indirectly invite us to reflect on how our forms of “religious worship” relate to that faith.
In the first reading, from the Book of the Prophet Habakkuk, we heard the words “the just one, because of his faith, shall live” (see Hab 2:4a). In the second reading, Paul admonished his disciple Timothy “to stir into flame the gift of God he received . . . with the help of the Holy Spirit . . . and to have faith and love in Christ Jesus” (cf. 2 Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14). According to the Gospel, Jesus’ disciples pleaded with him to “increase their faith” (see Luke 17:5-10). And so as we contemplate these passages we may desire to ask the questions “what is true faith, how do we worship God, and how does our faith impact our daily lives?”
With these questions in mind, I think we should first contemplate the relationship between “true faith” and “religious worship.” Some mistakenly believe these two things are one and the same. Jesus however taught his disciples “true faith” existed in those who hoped for eternal life, and who “loved the Lord their God with all their hearts, beings, strengths and minds, and their neighbors as themselves” (cf. Luke 10:27). I believe acts of “religious worship” then are those “earthly” rituals we use to show reverence and homage to a “heavenly” God we cannot yet fully comprehend.
Unfortunately, it’s also true such rituals can be “performed” by people who really have no faith at all. There are numerous examples attesting to this kind of behavior found in both the Old and the New Testaments. Jesus himself addressed such when, criticizing the Pharisees, he quoted Isaiah saying “this people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts” (cf., Mark 7:5-8). Those Pharisees knew very well how to put on a show of “religious worship,” while they really possessed nothing other than pretentious or false displays of “faith.”
Even in our own time, I believe there are people within the “Christian” community who unfortunately engage in “religious worship” that’s actually devoid of “true faith.” And if “religious worship” doesn’t really express “true faith,” then it’s spiritually meaningless, and may effectively encourage various forms of subtle idolatry.
In such cases, its adherents may then instead actually “worship” the “idols” of money, of materialism, of religious traditions, and of church institutions and/or of buildings (not that these things, used properly, don’t genuinely benefit us!). Worse still, would be idolatry towards modern day Pharisees who abuse their power and who instill false senses of security and purpose in the lives of the powerless (these are the same pharisaical people who harm the vulnerable and who are quick to condemn others who don’t ‘fall in line’ with their ideologies).
I believe these kinds of things happen when otherwise “religious” people replace their passion for God, and Godly things, with the likes of things just mentioned. Of course I hope and pray I’m not describing any of us!
So then assuming we are people who have “true faith,” how must it impact our daily lives? I believe if we truly commit ourselves to love of God and neighbor, then as the disciples of Jesus we will always want to pray for an “increase of faith.” Our lifelong passion will therefore involve not simply and only our forms of “religious worship,” but more importantly our continuous desire to grow as genuine people of faith; we will then never cease to put into concrete action our love for God and our neighbor. Our faith will not be something we merely profess with our lips, and certainly at no time will we “worship idols” that take us away from “true faith.”
My friends, may we always and honestly seek to evaluate the “true depths” and the “daily consequences” of our “faith.” And as we put it into practice, may we never waver in the way we love and serve God and others!
Praise God! Friar Timothy
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