Faith in God's Goodness

1st Week of Advent - Friday; Memorial of St Ambrose (7 December 2018)

Isaiah 29:17-24. Psalm 27:1,4,13-14. Matthew 9:27-31.

“Let it be done for you according to your faith.”

In today's gospel we read that two visually challenged persons followed Jesus and cried out, “Son of David, have pity on us!” They followed him to the front door of the house where he was staying. It was then that he turned to them. He healed them, and their sight returned. Those two were helpless and in need. They trusted Jesus, not because they had something to offer, but because they knew about his goodness.

Jesus heals them saying, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” The healing itself is not a reward, but a confirmation of their faith, inner seeing. To be physically blind is not so much an evil when compared to our inner, spiritual blindness—lack of faith. Faith itself is a gift; but a gift is a gift only when it is gratefully accepted. Faith is a grateful openness to reality, to God and His works.

We often think that it is our prayers and good deeds that make us lovable in God’s eyes. No. God's love for us is total: even before we were conceived in our mother's womb. God loves us in our weaknesses, failures, warts, blindness, and all. As we are. It is always God’s own loving kindness that takes the initiative. Ours is only a response, an acceptance of the gift, an openness to the gift. God's love for us is unconditional; and that's what we are going to celebrate this Christmas. God loves us 100% already, no matter what. This love depends on the subject (God), and not on the object (worthiness or unworthiness of humans). God's love cannot be merited, it is already given to us freely and fully, without measure.

This is the kind of love that is often mirrored in our own human love, especially of mothers. According to the reports of the guards at a prison in Kenya, many of the criminals were visited regularly by their mothers, sometimes for years on end. What was the reason? They said: “Mothers say: whatever my child did, he or she remains my child.”

It is good to remember this. We are on very shaky ground if we think that our deeds are the reason God loves us. We are often blind to the real reason. It has nothing to do with what we offer God; it has everything to do with God’s unconditional love. We are God's Beloved. We are God's children: beloved daughters and sons.

“I am sure I will see the Lord’s goodness!” That is what those two blind people were sure of when they met Jesus.

“I am sure I will see the Lord’s goodness!” Always and everywhere.

“I am sure I will see the Lord’s goodness!” Here and now.

“I am sure I will see the Lord’s goodness!” No matter what.