Tuesday, 14th week in Ordinary Time
July 10, 2018: Hos 8 :4-7,11-13; Mt 9: 32-37
We widely practice religion but rarely do we truly believe! Practices of piety, fulfillment of the so-called ritual requirements, attendance at the Church - these would merely be religion if they do not arise from a belief, that is right and real.
Placing our trust on things, relying entirely on what we do or perform, thinking in terms of appeasements and votive sacrifices are modes of religion practiced and do not lead to the right belief. They are more need fulfillments and life coping than a true, empowering and life enhancing relationship. The latter is specifically what faith is all about.
Faith alone can lead to Right Beliefs: there is a difference between a belief and faith. Faith is an encounter, a relationship out of which a conviction is born and the conviction translated into concepts is belief. The difficulty of our times is the fact that this process is reversed: people are introduced, sometimes forced into belief and then faith is expected to be born and to mature! Can this really happen?
Our belief is in a person not in a power; it is not about some legalistic fulfilment of requirements or subservient submission to a power but about a loving relationship with a person. It is in this relationship, in other words called faith, that belief is born; and that belief would certainly be the Right belief.
Take a moment during the day today to evaluate how right your belief is!