HELP US RESTORE OUR FAITH
The love we are
called to offer is Jesus' own love, a love that offers itself in openness and
service to others.
In today's Gospel
Jesus shows us that our God is One Who heals, promises, gives freedom, hope and
peace, helps restore relationships, and shows us true love. Jesus begins the
proclamation of the Gospel here, in order to fulfill the Word of God. The Old Testament
prophets spoke of God's promise to send a Redeemer Who would establish God's
rule. His promise is now fulfilled in Jesus.
Jesus takes up
John's message of repentance and calls disciples to believe in the Good News He
has come to deliver. The Gospel is the power and wisdom of God; the power to
change and transform our lives and the wisdom to show us how to live as sons
and daughters of our heavenly Father. Through the Gift of the Holy Spirit, the
Lord makes it possible for us to receive His Word with faith and to act upon it
with trust. In announcing the Good News, Jesus made two demands: repent and
believe. Repentance requires us to change our lives and transform our hearts
and minds to that of Christ. The Holy Spirit gives us a repentant heart - true
sorrow and hatred for sin and its consequences - and a firm resolution to avoid
sin in the future. The Holy Spirit gives us grace to see our sin for what it is
- the rebellion and rejection of the love of God. God's grace helps us to turn
away from all that would keep us from His love.
Faith, or belief,
is an entirely free gift given to us by God. Believing is only possible by
grace and the help of the Holy Spirit Who moves the heart and converts it to
God. God's Spirit opens the eyes of faith! The commandment in today's first
reading tells us, "we should believe in the Name of His Son, Jesus Christ,
and love one another just as He commanded us" (1 Jn 3:23). The love we are
called to offer is Jesus' own love, a love that offers itself in openness and
service to others.
We read today that
many people came to Jesus and found healing from diseases and infirmities while
in His care. By our loving service to others, we pray that God's love, which is
made known in Jesus Christ, will also be made known through each one of us!