Faith

Be like men waiting for their master to return from the wedding feast,

with their lamps lit,

ready to open the door as soon as he comes and knocks.

This is a good image of our monastic life. The monastic person is one who lives waiting for the Lord, awaiting the coming of the Lord, vigilant, ready to open the door of her heart to Him as soon as he comes, with her lamp lit.

We know that the image of the lamp lit is a symbol of faith.

Our faith has to be always turned on.

Faith is the appropriately rational way of approaching God.

Faith is the reasoning of the religious mind, preoccupied/concern of God.

Faith is the correct way to approach God.

Hebrew 11 talk about how the great figure in Israel’s history related to God:

by faith not by control.

God is asking us to do the same: to have faith, to use all the power of our mind and affection to love Him, to follow Jesus in the life of the Church, our community, the common life image of the life of the Trinity. To be vigilant is to live in faith, surrender, so that at the coming of the Lord we will be ready to welcome Him and to follow Him.

Let us always wait with solicitude and caution for the sudden coming of the Lord,

 so that when he knocks, our faith may be on the watch,

and receive from the Lord the reward of our vigilance. (St. Cyprian)

19th Sunday Ord. Time