The Faith Business

Seeing Jesus’ grace and goodness in our successes

04/05/2018

Acts of the apostles 3:11-26 As the crippled man who had been cured clung to Peter and John, all the people hurried in amazement toward them in the portico called "Solomon's Portico." When Peter saw this, he addressed the people, "You children of Israel, why are you amazed at this, and why do you look so intently at us as if we had made him walk by our own power or piety? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus whom you handed over and denied in Pilate's presence, when he had decided to release him. You denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. The author of life you put to death, but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses. And by faith in his name, this man, whom you see and know, his name has made strong, and the faith that comes through it has given him this perfect health, in the presence of all of you.

Yesterday we announced publicly that Trinity Junior High would buy the building and land it currently leases from the Benedictine Sisters. Hopefully, there’ll be an article in the paper today. This purchase allows Trinity to enjoy greater stability and sustainability, and for the Sisters to have the funds to build their new monastery. All this was made possible thanks to a very generous matching gift of $2,500,000 by one benefactor. As we celebrated the occasion yesterday I tried to remind everyone that this really isn’t about land or money or even a new monastery, but about faith. We only make all this effort so more people can come to faith in Jesus: more teenagers in a Catholic school and more sisters in a monastery and through them all whom they serve. At the end of the day, it’s about faith.

In the Acts of the Apostles, Peter is trying to remind the people that faith was the key ingredient of the cure of a crippled man. He tells the people not to applaud the apostles’ “power or piety,” instead he urges them: “by faith in Jesus’ name, this man, whom you see and know, his name has made strong, and the faith that comes through it has given him this perfect health, in the presence of you all.” The people were getting distracted by the marvelous miracle and forgetting faith, like maybe a few people might have forgotten that in yesterday’s announcement. But in the end what counts, and what lasts, is faith.

My friends, as you go through life you will also see wonders and miracles. A few examples of such miracles are the birth of a baby, or the day of your wedding, or the ordination of eight men as priests this year for our diocese, or buying a new house or getting a matching gift of $2,500,000 or any success or achievements you enjoy. While you celebrate these marvelous moments, also try to look at them through the eyes of faith, and see how Jesus is present in them. It is always his grace and goodness that makes possible anything worth-while that we accomplish. And, like St. Peter and the apostles, be careful not to take too much credit for them, but give all the glory to God. Like we said yesterday: we are not in the real estate business, we are in the faith business.

Praised be Jesus Christ!