AS YOU HAVE BELIEVED, LET IT BE DONE ~ reflex on Mt 8:5-17
Faith. Faith requires humility, the willingness to accept as truth things that are beyond our understanding. Faith humbly bows down before the truth it cannot grasp, and lives according to its demands. Faith says, “I cannot, but God can,” and then trusts and receives what God wills.
Many times in the Gospel, Jesus says, “Your faith has healed you.” And where there is little faith, mighty deeds cannot be done. Why not? Because a lack of faith is a lack of receptivity, a lack of openness. Instead of saying, “I cannot, but God can,” the unbelieving soul says, “I’m fine. I can. I will,” and does not open its weakness to God’s strength, its darkness to God’s light, it’s woundedness to God’s healing.
The centurion in the Gospel expresses his faith in Jesus’ power by acknowledging his unworthiness and Jesus’ authority and ability to heal with a simple word. And Jesus responds with amazement and says, “As you have believed, let it be done for you.” And it is done!
Do we believe like this centurion? Believing isn’t a magical state of mind or a manifesting, which will instantly give us everything we want just because we really want it. God is no genie in a bottle. Faith is so much deeper, and calls us to so much more. Real faith entrusts everything to the Lord’s Heart, like Mary at the wedding feast of Cana; we hold up the need of the moment to God without demanding how He should handle it, knowing that whatever He does will be best. Real faith grows and deepens by being tested, until our hearts and wills are conformed to the will of God. Real faith trusts that the love of God arranges all things for our good, our growth, and His glory.
Would faith be easier if we saw Jesus’ miracles with our own eyes? Well, many people who saw the miracles still refused to believe! Because God has willed that our salvation will always require humble faith and the freedom to reject what is true. We have over 2000 years of miracles and teaching and examples of holiness to help us see even more clearly, and we have Jesus’ true Presence in the Eucharist in every tabernacle, and can receive him at every Mass. If we open ourselves in humble faith and try to receive what God is giving us, our faith will deepen and our love will grow.
Today is also the day we celebrate the Immaculate Heart of Mary, a heart that believed what the angel said to her, opened her heart fully to the Word, and allowed it to take root and blossom, so that we might eat of the Fruit of the tree of life. Today, let us ask Mary to help us see where we still may have obstacles to faith, and to give us the grace to humbly let go of anything that we place in God’s way.