The Sunday Sermon Archive

Dear Friend,

Today's Gospel reminds us once again that we must have confidence in God. All too often we act as those who do not know God. Those who do not know God must constantly concern themselves with the things of this world and their own wellbeing. Those who do know God have a sense of confidence because they know that God will take care of them.

The Apostles had been with Our Lord for some time and had witnessed many of the miracles that He performed and yet they feared because they (at least temporarily) had lost confidence in Jesus.

As Catholics we have no reason to loose confidence in God. We have the seven Sacraments to help us at every stage of our lives. We have the graces that the rest of the world does not. God has taken a very special interest in us, and all that really is left for us to do is to cooperate with the graces as they are given.

Our confidence in God must be firm, active, and based upon the merit of Jesus Christ. Catholics must have a firm conviction that God is there with them at all times in every circumstance of life, even in the greatest dangers and afflictions. (All things work for the good of those who love God.) We base this firm confidence upon God's power, goodness and love. Our confidence must be active. We must do all that is required on our part. "God helps those who help themselves." If you wish to succeed in this world you must labor diligently, and be economical. You must do that which the intelligence that God has given you tells you must be done. The sick person who wishes to get well not only prays to God for health, but he must also use the medicines that God has provided to be used in the restoration of health. If we wish to succeed in the spiritual life our confidence must likewise be active. We must keep the commandments, we must be sorry for our sins and confess them and we must watch and pray. Our confidence must also be based on the merits of Christ. It is because of the merits of Christ that we receive all the good that we receive from God. He is the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. He is the vine and we are the branches. All that gives life and sustains life in the branches must come from the vine.

The fruits of this confidence deliver us from worldly anxieties and cares. Christ says: The heathens seek after all these things because they have no knowledge of God. Christians on the contrary, who know God and trust in Him, live quietly and are comforted, for they know that He ordains everything for their good; that even what appears to be an evil in the eyes of the world is good and expedient if we only make proper use of it. This thought banishes all tormenting cares from their hearts and makes them always resigned to the will of God.

This confidence comforts in sufferings and persecutions, so that we bear them not only with patience, but even with joy; for confidence has its foundation in faith, which teaches us, that the sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come.

This confidence gives us courage and strength in temptations. Our life upon earth is warfare. There are enemies within and without; the world, the flesh and the devil, are waging a continual war against us, and using all their endeavors to draw us into sin and Hell. Confidence in God holds us firm and secure in the midst of storms, as the anchor holds the ship. In the certainty of assistance from above we fear no enemy and know no danger; we feel ourselves strong and powerful, and full of confidence we say with David: "Our God is our refuge and strength; a helper in troubles, which have found us exceedingly. Therefore we will not fear when the earth shall be troubled and the mountains shall be removed into the heart of the sea." (Ps 45: 2,3)

Lastly this confidence will make the practice of Christian virtues and good works easy. When we trust in God we know that we can do all things with the help of God. So, we will necessarily go about the work of salvation with alacrity and courage, and surmount all the obstacles and undergo all the difficulties which we meet with in the way of virtue.

Let us always act as Christians who believe that they are under God's fatherly protection; let us do what reason and religion prescribe in order to make ourselves worthy of the protection and assistance of God, and endeavor to lead a pious life. Then our confidence will be founded on a solid basis, and we may hope for every blessing from God.

Franciscan Benefactor Seraph Subscription Electronic copy of the December Seraph ($2.00)in Adobe Acrabat format. Vocations Have you remembered God?