THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

Her Doctrine and Morals

Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

6 October 2024

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The Sunday

Sermon

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Dear Friends in Christ,

Let us remember that faith is not a sudden revelation but a gradual development in our hearts. In today's Gospel reading, we witness this in the ruler (Saint John 4:46-53). Jesus had previously worked a miracle in Galilee at the wedding feast of Cana. This ruler undoubtedly either saw this or heard from others of the powers of Jesus. Because his son was deathly ill, he sought out Jesus for help. The ruler's faith was weak, but he was desperate to obtain any help that he could.

Jesus rebuked the weak faith of many through this ruler. "Unless you see signs and wonders, you believe not." Undeterred, the ruler pleads even more for Jesus to come to his son before he dies. "Jesus saith to him: Go thy way. Thy son liveth. The man believed the word which Jesus said to him and went his way." Hearing the word of Jesus the man's faith increases.

Our weak faith grows and becomes stronger as we hear Jesus' words. For this reason, the Gospels are presented to us at every Mass. We come to Jesus in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with our prayers and petitions. We believe, yet our faith is still weak. But when we hear Jesus' words, our souls become more alive, and the faith in our hearts grows stronger. We believe Jesus.

However, this ruler's faith was not yet perfect. He believed Jesus when He said that his son lives and was returning to his home when his servants met him to tell him that his son was well. When he discovered that the cure was at the very moment when Jesus said: "Thy son liveth," His faith grew greater still. "And himself believed, and his whole house."

When we attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, we should strive to see ourselves in this ruler. We come to worship, pray, petition, and make expiation, but with relatively weak faith and relatively weak love. God has mercy on our weakness and speaks to us in the Holy Gospels. If we are listening, our faith, hope, and love increase.

As the Holy Mass progresses and we arrive at the Canon of the Mass, the solemnity increases, and we hear the bells ring announcing the approaching miracle of Transubstantiation. We witness "signs and wonders" if our faith is strong enough for us to be able to see. Sadly, with many, the miracle passes by with barely any notice because their faith and charity have grown cold. Seeing, hearing, and believing, our faith grows stronger than before. Our appreciation and love for God and His Mercy expands beyond what we ever thought was possible.

Jesus is still not satisfied; He wants to give us even more. He wants our faith to be stronger and our love to be greater. He offers Himself to us in the Holy Eucharist. If we are adequately prepared and properly disposed, we receive Him into our bodies and draw even nearer to perfect unity with God. Our faith and love reach even greater heights.

To our shame, this miracle is often unrecognized, so we do not truly see what is happening. This miracle is not understood or appreciated. Our little bit of faith takes this miracle for granted, and we lose all appreciation, wonder, and awe for God's love for us and the greatness of His Gift. We take God for granted like we take everything for granted in our lives.

We see many beautiful sunrises and sunsets but seldom appreciate them, thank God for them, or praise and glorify God because of them. To our shame, many treat Jesus similarly in the Holy Eucharist. There is a common saying: "Familiarity breeds contempt." That which we frequently observe very often is no longer seen or appreciated.

As members of this close spiritual community, we must consciously go to Jesus with our weak faith, even if His Words sting us a little, as He rebukes us for our feeble faith. We should strive to hear what He says to us to strengthen our faith. Believing in Him, believing what He says, opens us up to seeing His mercy to us all around us. As the ruler in today's Gospel reading verified the miracle Jesus gave him, we are to look into our lives and see the many miracles that Jesus gave us. We must not dismiss them as unimportant, insignificant, or random chance.

With ever-increasing faith and charity (love), we should return to Jesus with humble and repentant hearts to receive Him into our bodies so that He may live in us and through us — so that we can bring Him into the lives of our families and friends, and we, too, may have the words of today's Gospel reading applied to us: "And himself believed, and his whole house."

May the Immaculate Heart of Mary inspire, guide, and protect us!