FRIDAY WEEK TWENTY SEVEN ORDINARY TIME YEAR 2, OCTOBER 12, 2018

READINGS: Galatians 3: 7-14, Ps. 111, Luke 11: 15-26

THEME: A Kingdom divided against itself is destined to fall.

Faith keeps a people and any religion going. Faith brings unity in oneself and with whatever someone believes. It makes someone strong in himself and in his belief and with the people involved in his belief system. Faith makes someone to progress and singles someone out for great work. St Paul continued his teaching on the importance of faith over the law. Today he cites Abraham as the epitome of faith in the Old Testament as the father of faith and of the new people of God. Even the Gentiles who originally are not called children of God are accepted by their faith in Christ Jesus. All nations received blessing in Abraham because of the faith he has in God and the faith the nations have in the God of Abraham. Faith brings blessing and closeness with God. No one can be counted righteous except by having faith and that gives life to the righteous (the righteous shall live by faith). The promise of the Spirit is harnessed through faith. So in order to receive the promise made, faith is a sine qua non.

Beloved, it is this same faith that makes one a believer in Christ Jesus for those who do not have faith in him doubt everything even works of faith by Christ Jesus. It is the faith that Jesus has in his Father that does miracle through him and by him and in him. See the effect of faithlessness when the people of Jesus’ time saw the miraculous deeds and could not believe rather attributed it to lesser power- the Beelzebul. This was the only power they know and have faith in. So anything done is attributed to it. Lack of faith denies God his glory and assigns it to the Devil. This is one of the sins against the Holy Spirit- not giving God his due praise. This happens as a product of faithlessness.

Beloved, differences in faith divides a people and tears even the inner cohesion of the individual person. Differences in faith and doctrine divide the entire family and a people. Once this division comes, the evil one takes advantage to destroy the people. Once division sets in there can be no progress and nothing can stand any more. This is why Jesus said that a kingdom divided against itself shall never stand but collapse.  A Church, a believing group, a people, a community that allows division to come into what they believe shall never know peace and shall enter into the destructive sphere and boat of the devil.  People are divided among themselves when they lack faith in each other and in one common belief. It is lack of faith in God that makes us different from God and makes us enemies of Christ. It makes us not to be with Christ and then as enemies we take the path of scattering and destroying what others have built.

Beloved, lack of faith in Christ Jesus brings us into the arena of the devil and then demonic possession takes over. This gives the devil the room to take over the child of God. When this lasts long the devil becomes the owner and landlord of the soul and can bring in more devils to join him to destroy the person and worsen his condition.

I pray that we may have faith strong enough to remain in God and keep to our doctrine. I pray we belong to the league of faithful people like Abraham. I ask God that we may believe in him and in all that he does and that we may never deny the good deeds of the Lord and may not allow our faith to be divided or to divide us so that we may not be judged by faithlessness. I pray that we may never due to lack of faith commit a sin against the Holy Spirit which would never be forgiven us, Amen.