Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest, Doctor
on Saturday of week 3 in Ordinary Time
First reading – Hebrews 11:1-2,8-19
Faith is depicted as the motor of the life of Abraham and Sarah. Each aspect of their life is guided by faith beginning from their departure from their own country and living in the tents. They believed in the promises because of faith. “All these died in faith, before receiving any of the things that had been promised”. Here we see also an important element of faith. They believed in the promises, and they died without seeing the fulfilment of promises. Moreover, they were even put on test due to faith. “It was by faith that Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac”. We see these two elements of faith: they did not see the fulfilment of the promises and they were tested. So why do you believe? They believed because they identified themselves with the promises of God. Faith is identifying oneself with the plan of God. It is not something we have but it’s something we become. “They lived there in tents while he looked forward to a city founded, designed and built by God”. While living in the tents they identified themselves with the city founded, designed and built by God. While having only one son, they identified themselves with descendants as many as the stars of heaven or grains of sand. Abraham offered his son because he saw his son living. So, faith is not having something but leaving everything so that you have only the plan of God, you become the plan of God. Let’s reflect: Is my faith just a confidence or is it me becoming the plan of God?