Memorial of Saint John Chrysostom
1 Timothy 2:1-8
Psalm 28:2.7.8-9 (R.6)
THE POWER OF FAITH
Our today’s readings celebrate the power of faith which transforms oneself and can shape one’s life to be a real imitator of Jesus Christ. In the first reading, Paul writes to Timothy, his collaborator in the mission of Christ Jesus, to whom he urges to be a real example of the flock he is leading regarding his way of living. The faith he is preaching should be manifested in his daily life through his conduct, principles and, convictions he adopts as the right to be done; in other words, Paul is requesting from Timothy to be the true witness of our Lord Jesus Crist in words and deeds and even in thoughts.
Is our faith having an impact in our real life or it is just good theories and precepts that are good to hear and nothing more; are we able to let the faith we have in Jesus Christ enlighten our principles, our thoughts, our deeds in our daily life; is our faith leading us to prayer, which is the personal encounter with God? Is our faith helping us to have sound relationships with our neighbors or do we still allow the material goods to be primary and be the measure of our relationships with our brothers and sisters? Is faith making us witnesses of the truth and defend the dignity of those who lack justice and are deprived to get their rights.
In the Gospel, we find the result of living by faith. We see Jesus praising the centurion for having such a great faith which allowed a personal encounter with God. As we said before, faith should lead us to our neighbors, to have sound relationships and, fight for the dignity of all. In fact, is what the centurion deed: though he was considered to belong to higher classes in the society, at that time, he never allowed material affairs to rule over his heart, rather, he fought for the dignity of his servant and, as the Israelites testified in the Gospel: “He is worthy to have you to this for him, for he loves our nation, and he built us our synagogue.”
Today the Church invites us to celebrate the memory of Saint John Chrysostom, who gave the witness of his faith through his preaching, unceasing fight against many errors in the Church, for the sake of truth and, was even exiled and died because of his faith and the consequences that it implied.
May Saint Chrysostom pray for us to our Lord Jesus Christ so that we may witness our faith in Jesus up to the last consequences.
Amen.
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