Quinquagesima Sunday 23.2.20 Faith, Hope, and Charity
We all have our troubles – some we have all our lives;
others come for a shorter time.
Some are easily solved; others seem beyond solution.
We bring them all here to Mass, and – like the blind man –
we call out Jesus son of David, have mercy on me (Lk 18, 38)
We express our trust in Jesus, and we reach out to Him as
simply and straightforwardly as those in Gospel times.
We know that not all our troubles will be solved at one
time. And even if they were solved, there would be new troubles tomorrow.
Still we sense that it is a very good idea to call upon the
Saviour whenever we need help of any kind.
We bring our troubles to the Mass and we put them at Our
Lord’s feet. At the same time we pray for ways of coping when the troubles
remain.
The coping mechanism is alluded to in today’s epistle:
faith, hope and charity. If we have those qualities we can rule the world.
Faith hope and charity enable us to go against appearances,
and against the tide of human opinion.
We put our trust in God - not in how things look, or what
people think.
Anyone who takes religion seriously is likely to be
ridiculed. We develop the courage to withstand that.
We learn to hold as firm as Our Lord Himself, on the Cross;
and as Mary at the foot of the Cross.
Faith enables us to see the unseen. Hope enables us to see a
path ahead, even if unclear at present. Charity enables us to love the unlovable.
These are supernatural gifts from God, which operate
supernaturally - that is, beyond the normal range of human capacity.
Supernaturally these abilities are raised to a miraculous
level. They will enable us to believe, hope and love beyond our normal
limitations.
We cannot see God; nor Heaven, nor angels and saints – yet
they all exist and we believe they do. We believe it not just as an opinion but
as a certainty.
Faith gives us that certainty.
We cannot see the future, so we might despair or be very
depressed about how things will turn out.
Hope, supernatural hope will enable us to see a future where
every tear is wiped away (Rev 21,4); where the wolf can dwell with the lamb (Is
11,6).
Charity will enable us to bless those who curse us (Mt 5,44),
to give without expecting return (Lk 6,35) - because we are drawing upon the
infinite charity of God, instead of just relying on our own meagre supply.
We have faith, hope and love if we have been baptised. They
can get rusty from neglect, but they can be called forth once we have returned
to communion with Our Lord.
The more we exercise these gifts the more powerfully they
will operate.
It is all part of our Christian life, which requires daily
that we be prepared to go against the tide of public opinion.
We do not differ from others just to be difficult, but because
it is necessary to uphold God's view on things. People may be annoyed with us
but they can share in the happiness too, if they will read the signs.
Reality is more than just what we see through physical eyes;
a great deal more.
We thank God for giving us ways of seeing more deeply; for
lifting our burdens from us, or for giving us strength to carry them.
Now I know in part, but then I shall know even as I am
known (1 Cor 13,12).
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