Yes, I'm going to talk about romantic love a little bit this week. This week's readings speak of faith. But what is faith? How can I be a better believer? And oh, is it okay to make out with your girlfriend? I'm going to talk about that too. There is commentary after the 2nd Reading and the rest of the readings are after the commentary.
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Reading II
1 Jn 5:1-6
Beloved:
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God,
and everyone who loves the Father
loves also the one begotten by him.
In this way we know that we love the children of God
when we love God and obey his commandments.
For the love of God is this,
that we keep his commandments.
And his commandments are not burdensome,
for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world.
And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.
Who indeed is the victor over the world
but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ,
not by water alone, but by water and blood.
The Spirit is the one that testifies,
and the Spirit is truth.
Science and Faith
Why does faith in Jesus Christ conquer the world? First of all, faith is certain (Catechism of the Catholic Church 157). Faith is certain because faith comes from the mouth of God. God is the creator of Earth. He created me and you and everything else. He understands the reality behind and in everything. He is the only person who understands EVERYTHING perfectly. He is the one who wrote the laws of science. If you look at scientific laws like the “laws” of physics, motion, gravity etc., you will recall that no human invented these laws. No human invented gravity for example. Mr. Isaac Newton merely OBSERVED gravity, he didn’t INVENT it. All science and all truth originates from God.
Faith is an adherence to God and complete reliance and belief in ALL that God professes (CCC 150). At first glance, it seems crazy to believe EVERYTHING that someone says. But God is not like any mortal we’ve met. He is the one who created everything. From a logical standpoint, it makes sense to trust the knowledge and teachings of the one who created everything, everyone, and all of the laws of nature and science.
But this scientific reason for believing is still not reason enough. Ultimately, our faith (which comes as a supernatural gift at baptism) allows us to believe EVERYTHING that God professes. Is it irresponsible to do this? It is VERY irresponsible to do this with ANYONE other than God. We are hesitant to believe everything that someone says because we have been lied to so many times. For instance, we are hesitant to believe some salesmen because are salesmen are paid to sell, not to tell the truth. We are sometimes hesitant to believe people who claim to love us because many times in the past we have been hurt and lied to by people who claimed to love us.
Trusting Bus Drivers and God
But, God is unlike ANY human and the ways of God are far above the ways of man (Isaiah 55:8). The reason we believe in the truths of God is “because of the authority of God himself who reveals them, who neither deceive nor be deceived.” (CCC 156) This gift of faith in his authority is something we receive at baptism. Now why should we trust someone in this way? Well, I trust my life to the judgment of bus drivers and taxi drivers all of the time, even though I don’t know them. But, God is someone that we can come to know. In looking at what he does, we can see WHO he is. God humbled himself to become a lowly man (Jesus). Then God suffered true human humiliation, torture, abandonment and death as a service to us. In his actions, we can see his pure motivation, which is simply- to love us. Ah, now only God is capable of loving PERFECTLY and COMPLETELY, and so it makes perfect sense to trust God much more than we trust bus drivers or taxi drivers who also hold our lives in their hands.
Yes, I trust my life in the hands of bus drivers and even more so, I trust every word out of the mouth of God. Reality and logic backs up my belief in God. It makes sense to trust a person who never lies, and has my best interest at heart at all times. It makes sense to put faith in the one who created everything and who knows everything.
Conquering the World
And so this is what is meant by John in the 2nd reading when he says that faith conquers the world and that the one who believes in Jesus is victorious over the world. If we rely on the ONLY person who loves us perfectly (God) and we have faith in the only person who knows him completely (Jesus) WE HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR. We needn’t fear death (we will rise along with Jesus) we needn’t fear poverty (Jesus lived happily as a poor man) we needn’t fear abandonment or humiliation (if we are abandoned or humiliated we have a chance to imitate Jesus). And so with this well-placed confidence, we will be “victorious” as St. John says. This is how even today, faith in God conquers the world.
In a practical sense, faith in God is practically achievable. Baptized Christians already have the faith given to them by God through baptism. We must cooperate with our faith by believing everything that the Holy Catholic Church professes to us. We are talking about the same Church started by Jesus Christ 2000 years ago and whose Pope can trace his office back to Peter himself who used to hang out with Jesus and fish with Jesus. Yes, I’m talking about the same Peter who was the only guy who recognized Jesus for who he was.
St. John is extremely practical in the 2nd reading when he says, “love of God is this, that we keep his commandments.” That’s easy to understand isn’t it? We must love God with all of our hearts and our neighbors as ourselves. We must musn’t lie, steal, cheat, or kill etc. Our reliance upon God will bring us victory. With victory comes joy, fulfillment, truthfulness, security, and HEAVEN among other things.
Believing Without Seeing
In the Gospel, Thomas refuses to believe unless he sees first. So why is it that “blessed are those who have not seen and have believed”? Believing in God without seeing is a blessing because, God is always right and good. However, our own “eyes” are not 100% right or trustworthy . Life has taught us that some things are more (or less) than they seem. We are often sure of OURSELVES only to find later that we were wrong.
This problem originated in the garden of Eden. God told Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit. Yet they thought the fruit was “pleasing to the eye” and they sinned against God and against themselves. So the truth is, we cannot trust our eyes completely. We cannot even trust our own judgment completelely. The only person worth trusting in all things is God. So blessed are those who believe without seeing. Blessed are those who believe EVERYTHING that God professes through his Catholic Church even if they “have not seen”.
Real Life
Once upon a time, I loved a girl. We liked each other a lot. Not long after we started dating, we were kissing, hugging, and holding hands. We didn’t commit any sin so far as I can tell, but it seemed like we grew more and more physical until we started to get dangerously close to sinning. Soon, I started to get concerned. I noticed a strange movement in my heart. I felt a small fear that God would take the “fun” out of my relationship if I consulted him. And so I had a brief time of distrust in God’s plan of chastity for me. I remember thinking “God, I don’t want you to take this physical intimacy away from me!” I also noticed that thoughts of sexual immorality began to pass through my head a lot more since I became physically intimate with my girlfriend. This also bothered me.
I went to confession and asked the priest about this. He told me that I should talk to my girlfriend about my concerns. The priest told me that I should decide along with my girlfriend where to draw the line when it came to physical intimacy.
So I talked to this young lady whom I loved. She told me that she had been concerned about this exact same issue. She also told me that she had been avoiding confession because she was afraid of the same thing as me-that God would take something away from her.
Ultimately, we decided that we would never kiss again unless we were married. I felt at great peace about this decision. I remember thinking “I would rather nudge my girlfriend towards heaven rather than hell.”
Chastity is part of our Catholic faith and it is discussed in detail in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Why does God want us to be chaste? Why does he want us to believe EVERYTHING he professes about chastity? Because he loves us. He wants us to be happy. We are his beloved. And, he wants us to go to heaven.
God loves us.
Reading 1
Acts 4:32-35
The community of believers was of one heart and mind,
and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own,
but they had everything in common.
With great power the apostles bore witness
to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
and great favor was accorded them all.
There was no needy person among them,
for those who owned property or houses would sell them,
bring the proceeds of the sale,
and put them at the feet of the apostles,
and they were distributed to each according to need.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24
R. (1) Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the house of Israel say,
"His mercy endures forever."
Let the house of Aaron say,
"His mercy endures forever."
Let those who fear the LORD say,
"His mercy endures forever."
R. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I was hard pressed and was falling,
but the LORD helped me.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
The joyful shout of victory
in the tents of the just:
R. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
R. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel
Jn 20:19-31
On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, "Peace be with you."
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you."
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
"Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained."
Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord."
But he said to them,
"Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."
Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you."
Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe."
Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples
that are not written in this book.
But these are written that you may come to believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that through this belief you may have life in his name.
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