Wednesday in 11th Week OT,
Alexander Albert
St. John the Evangelist Cathedral
Faith is a virtue and a gift. Faith is not an arbitrary decision to agree with a given set of ideas, but it is a gift from God that is unearned and works by grace. It is also a virtue, a habit – it is the ability to see, to understand, and to trust things that are beyond mere reason.
Faith is supposed to result in actions – thats what virtues do. So, how do we act on faith? Well the Gospel gives us the classic three actions that go with faith: Almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. Each of these exercises and strengthens faith in its own way.
Almsgiving gives away things that we might need in the future: food, clothing, money. We don’t always have control over these so it can be frightening to give them away. To give alms, then, requires faith in God’s providence – that he will provide you with what you truly need in the future. We are fortunate that the Charity center is just down the street, I urge you to visit or call and see what you can give.
Prayer requires faith first of all that you are actually talking to someone and being heard. Spending time in prayer might seem like a waste, especially if we don’t feel anything. Still, we must pray to stay in a relationship with God and this exercises our faith that God is not wasting our time.
Fasting exercises our faith by teaching us to seek true satisfaction in God alone. Food is satisfying, especially around here. By fasting we are reminding ourselves that there is something more satisfying that is worth waiting for and this takes faith in the one who promises to satisfy every good need. By the way, the Church asks us to not eat meat on every Friday, not just during Lent.
All of these acts of faith, however, have to be done for the right reasons. Because of this, Jesus tells us to do them in secret so we can avoid vanity and pride. Don’t worry, don’t be scrupulous if people figure out what you do for charity – just be careful not seek the attention purposely.
Finally, we have faith that God will repay these acts. How? He will repay them with true spiritual joy that goes beyond the pains of being poor or hungry. He will repay us with greater faith, with holiness and peace, and ultimately with eternal joy in heaven. So, give alms, pray, and fast.