My Dear friends,

As we continue our ramble through the path of the Fruits of the Spirit we come across the wonderful sense of Faithfulness.
This is a particularly great one because it is both a Gift and a Fruit.
Before we unpack that a little, let’s try and get our heads around Faith.
Faith is that thing which allows us to detect,  discern and discover the Grace of God at work wherever it is at work. Once we have discovered it, we can then act accordingly.

So what is The Grace of God. Well the definition is the ‘Unearned and undeserved Blessing of God’.

We can’t buy it, earn it, claim it as a reward or steal it, but we can receive it and observe it.

However, because we tend to be worldly souls hiding behind our egos, we often miss seeing the grace of God at work, because it is in the most unexpected places. We don’t like the fact that he justifies the wicked or forgives the unrepentant, yet that is exactly what he often does.

It is the Grace of God that allows Mary Magdalen, a lady ‘with a past’ to be the first person to witness the resurrection, and proclaim that Christ is Risen. It is Saul, who is out to destroy the New Way, who by the Grace of God becomes the Apostle to the Gentiles. 

But Grace does not only flow to the unrighteous, it flows wherever and whenever God wills, and Faith is the ability to see that Grace of God at work.

Faith allows us to see things within, and beyond the sensory. So we can see the grace and presence of God in the wonder and awe of his creation, and in the words of Holy Scripture. We can certainly see the grace of God at work in many people who love the Lord, and plenty of people who don’t. But we can also experience the Grace of God at work in the things which are beyond us, and it is faith that allows us to see that. So the story of creation may be beyond us, but we may think that even though it is too big for us, we accept that God is behind it. Or the scriptural miracles. By their very nature they can’t happen, but our faith allows us to accept that God is working in ways which are beyond us. Or beliefs like the Trinity. Too confusing to comprehend, but our faith allows us to say Yes to them.
Also with the Sacraments, it is faith that allows us to see and accept that at Marriage something happens, God joins two people together. Or at Baptism and Confirmation God gifts his Spirit. Or at the Eucharist God reveals himself in the breaking of the bread.
Faith is the ability to perceive and accept the things of God which are beyond.

The scriptures teach us that Faith is a Gift, freely given to all. But some are too worldly, some are too busy, some are too self centred to receive it, but many, many do and in so doing they experience the great things that God has done.

Once we allow for God and his Spirit to have their presence in our lives, then those Fruits of the Spirit will blossom, and we will see even more what god is doing, and will discern what he is calling us to do, and who he is calling us to be. We will long to do his will, because we know it brings us the most Joy and the most satisfaction. We will also know that God calls us to do his will, and equips us with whatever we need to carry it out. These Fruits of the Spirit ar the ability to continue accepting those things of God which are beyond us, even when they get tough, and the world calls us in a different direction.

The fruit which is Faithfulness is the ability to stick with our church when we can no longer go. To continue with our prayers when we want something other than that which is happening.  It enables us to see beyond those who let us down, it allows us to forgive those who cause us or others to stumble. It gives us the ability to see God at work inside his church, and outside as well.

You can see a bit of circular motion in all of this. Faith allows us to discern the grace of God, which in turn teaches us his will, which makes his presence more powerful, which allows us to see him at work in places beyond our imagining.

The more we accept the Gift of Faith, the more the Fruit of Faithfulness will grow, so we can with confidence we can proclaim that greatest of mysteries Christ has died! Christ is Risen! Christ will come again!

Bless you, Bless you, Bless you,

As ever,

Fr Marcus