Faith isn't neat, tidy, or saccharine. It's trusting God even when His plan makes absolutely no sense.
In today's installment of A Word of Hope, Fr. Peter Lewitzky reflects on St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians for Friday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time. St. Paul's words are challenging, especially for Roman Catholics: it's easy to define ourselves by who we are NOT, and in doing so, fall into the trap of emphasizing good works so heavily that we discount faith altogether. That's a heresy with a name: Pelagianism.
So what does real faith look like? Look at Abraham: trusting God through the pain of infertility, and saying "yes" even when asked to take Isaac up Mount Moriah. True faith is not a plaque on the wall. It's taking the messiness of your life and saying, "Lord, I know you are here, and because you're here, I have hope."
Wherever you're watching from, whatever God is asking you to surrender, your fidelity to the Christian life is not based on your perfection.
⏱️ TIMELINE
0:00 – Welcome to A Word of Hope
0:12 – Friday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time: Galatians
0:27 – The trap of defining ourselves by who we are not
0:47 – Faith vs. works: a challenge for Catholics
1:17 – Good news: it's not about living up to the law (Pelagianism)
1:30 – "Those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham"
1:41 – Faith is not a Hobby Lobby plaque
1:57 – What it meant for Abraham to have faith
2:26 – True faith is not saccharine
2:53 – A word of hope for wherever you are
📍 Recorded at St. Thomas Aquinas House, Lafayette, Indiana
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📖 Today's Reading: Galatians 3:7–14
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