Let Us Follow Our Paragons of Faith (Saturday, Week 27, Year 2)

We have been listening to St Paul’s arguments against the fanatical reliance on the law on the part of the Jewish Christians, which caused serious problems (divisions) in the Galatian Christian community. Paul came up with arguments as to why circumcision (a work of law) should not be the requirement or the decisive factor for entrance into the new covenant, and he arrived at a point (as the reading of today has it – cf. Gal. 3:22-29) that “whether circumcised or not, Jew or Gentile, male or female, we all are one in Christ Jesus”. Presenting Abraham as an icon of faith, St Paul argues further that if Abraham believed before the law came to be, why should the Gentiles be forced to take the path of the law before they can be regarded as fellow brothers and sisters in the same Christian family? And so, Abraham should be a model or a paragon of faith for them and for every other person. Abraham believed in God (who asked him to leave his father’s land, in God who asked him to sacrifice his only son) and in what God can do, even when it was very difficult to believe.  

In the gospel reading (cf. Luke 11:27-28), we are indirectly presented with another paragon or icon of faith in the person of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. A certain woman in the gospel, having encountered Jesus, was praising and blessing Mary for giving such a gift to humanity; and Jesus pronounced further blessedness on those who listen to the word of God and keep it. We know that Mary conceived, bore, nursed and nurtured the Word of God; she listened to the word of God and kept it. By Jesus’ statements, Mary was not sidelined. Rather, she was praised and presented as a paragon of faith to us. What Jesus actually said is that more blessed are those who will do as Mary has done: all those who hear the word of God and keep it. Just like Abraham, Mary is for us another paragon of faith. She trusted God. With faith, she assented to the word of God about her, and thus became the channel through which the world received the Savior and Redeemer, even when her concrete human situation as a virgin proved otherwise.  

What can we learn from the above? Faith, just like every other virtue, is contagious. Many have had reasons to continue to cling to life just because they saw people whose lifestyles and attitudes sparked off strong faith in God and in what He can do. When life becomes unbearable, know that many found it much more unbearable and survived. When things become too difficult for you to the point that you begin to contemplate giving up, losing faith and hope, look around! You will certainly see those who have gone through much more terrible situations and emerged victorious. Just because they had faith in God, in themselves and in others! Abraham and Mary, despite their unbearable and challenging life situations, manifested strong faith in God; and have become paragons of faith for our imitation. As we listen to God’s word daily, let us endeavor to put it into practice just like Our Blessed Mother did.