Faith Key to Removing Obstacles and Difficulties

10-02-2022Weekly ReflectionFr. Anthony Okolo, C.S.Sp, V.F.

The Liturgy of today presents us with the issue of faith. In the first reading from the Prophet Habakkuk, it says “the righteous shall live by faith” while in the Gospel the apostles asked the Lord to increase their faith. And in response Jesus told them “if you had faith as a grain of mustard seed you can say to this mulberry tree be rooted up, and be planted in the sea, and it would obey you.”

The question is what is faith? How can we grow in faith? Hebrew 11:1 says, “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrew, 11:11, “By Faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was passed the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.” Vs 28 “By Faith the people crossed the Red Sea as if on dry land.” When God reveals Himself to us He gives assurance and conviction that His power and presence and glory is just as real, even more real than our experience of the natural physical world around us. Things around us can change but God never changes. He is constantly ever true to His word, always faithful to His promises. God is ever faithful, reliable and dependable.

Habakkuk had his prophesy around 610-600bc. It was during the reign of Josiah who was a grandson of Manasseh. Josiah had proved to be a good king unlike his grandfather who was evil. Josiah inaugurated a reform of the worship of the true God. He suppressed the activities of the worship of the lesser shrines throughout the land, where idolatrous practices were entrenched. The temple itself was purified and rededicated, and the people were encouraged to worship God joyfully with singleness of heart. There was peace and progress in the land and a true worship of God flourished in the land.

It was during these great reforms for true worship of God initiated by King Josiah that he was killed by the Babylonians a pagan nation ruled by a pagan king. They could not understand this reversal of events. Men and women began to probe their hearts to find answers to their searching questions. How could God allow such a terrible thing to happen? If the reformation ideals of good king Josiah had been correct, God should have allowed the king and the nation to prosper. Instead, the king had been killed and the nation had been subjected to new foreigner masters. Why should the wicked Babylonians whose evil were well known triumph the good and God-fearing King Josiah. It is as a result of this that the Prophet cries out, “How long, O Lord I cry for help but you do not listen. I cry out to you Violence.”

The answer comes to Habakkuk in a vision Habakkuk 2:2 “And the Lord answered, “write the vision, make it plain upon tablet, the just one because if his faith shall live”. Those who love God must exercise patience. Patience is one way in which our Faith in God is tested, therefore we need patience to experience this special favour of God especially in times of troubles and crisis. God’s ways are true, despite the terrible nature of the present circumstance. God is still in control of this world. We are called to have total faith in God despite the apparent challenges we face in life.

Fr. Tony Okolo C.S.Sp., V.F.

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