Memorial of Saint Clare, virgin
Faith is a really big word for us as Christians. It is at the core of the set of beliefs that we call "our faith." How we define it and understand its role in our salvation has been a sticking point between denominations for centuries. Then there is the question of faith in our everyday circumstances and that collides with whether or not we have expectant faith that God can do the miraculous. One could write volumes on "faith", but this is not the space for that. Instead I'd like to offer just one reflection regarding faith and how we can more intentionally pursue the faith of the "just man" as Habakkuk describes it and the faith that the Apostle's lack in today's gospel. I'd like to ponder faith as "the resolute trust that God will fulfill the promises that have been made."
The reason I offer this definition of faith in light of today's readings is because I think it lays great groundwork for how we approach the miraculous in our present age. Maybe you've been in a similar situation to me where you are imploring the Lord to intervene in someone's life. As you are praying for God's intervention, especially in a miraculous way, you might start to include lines about whether or not it is God's will. By the end of the prayer maybe there is a debate going on in you about whether you truly believe God can or will perform this miraculous intervention. Maybe you've never been there, but I have.
One response to that is to say that you need to claim the miracles you wish God to perform. It takes the idea that the Spirit moves more freely where there is faith and twists it to an extreme that says you can force the Spirit to go where you will. Trust in the Lord becomes more akin to manipulation of God and "thy will be done" is replaced with "my will be done." And yet, there is a truth in this mindset that I believe is the secret to expectant faith. It is the secret to "the resolute trust that God will fulfill the promises that have been made."
The seed of truth in this mindset that is essential for us is this, when we are praying for someone's healing, or deliverance from an addiction, or some other miraculous intervention we must trust that all of these things will come to be. Our loved one will be healed, our friend will be freed from that addiction, God will deliver. We are not praying because we doubt that God will heal, we are praying because we would like God to accelerate the timeline. This is because as disciples desiring heaven on earth, we keep the promises of heaven in mind and ask for them to invade this present reality. God WILL wipe away every tear. God WILL heal. Death WILL not have the last word. Until that time, we pray that God offers us a foretaste of heaven in the here and now.
In today's Gospel we encounter exorcism and expectant faith and are challenged to have that faith. Not because with it we can make God heal when He wouldn't, but that we can trust in the healing to come, and sometimes witness a foretaste of it in this life.
Jesus help us to have resolute trust in your promises, for you have overcome the world and are asking us to trust you enough to allow a little bit of heaven to shine through to earth. Amen.
- Spencer Hargadon