Faith and Forgiveness!

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

November 11, 2019: Remembering St. Martin of Tours.

Wisdom 1:1-7; Luke 17: 1-6

Holiness is a matter of the innermost being. It does not consist merely of the external signs and shows. Words not said, thoughts not expressed, acts merely contemplated, reactions withheld... these determine my holiness more than what the world around perceives me to be. That is why the strange link between faith and forgiveness in the Gospel today. 

While Jesus teaches the disciples to forgive brothers and sisters, they respond saying - 'increase our faith!' Can sound strange, but only apparently so! One cannot consider oneself to be a person of faith, holy and spiritual, if one's relationships with others is not right. If faith is relationship with God, forgiveness is relationship with my fellow beings! If the latter fails, the former is meaningless.

This is what the first reading calls 'the simplicity of heart' - thinking what one lives, living what one says and saying what one thinks - all of these put together is true faith. Lord increase our faith. 

St. Martin whom we celebrate today was someone who lived this in his life! He was gracious with his unfortunate brothers and sisters and he experienced the same graciousness in bountiful measure. If we want really to be spiritual, we have to forgive, accept, and love our brothers and sisters, as God does with us: that is true wisdom that leads to true faith. 

Lets ask the Lord to "Increase our faith" (Lk 17:5).