Daily Mass Reading Reflection (Nov 16, 2024)
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We often misunderstand what exactly “faith” is for. Most times, we misunderstand faith as something meant to replace reason, like one should turn his or her brain off in order to have faith. Other times, we misunderstand faith as just a synonym for wish, like faith is for when you really really want something. There is a hint of the truth to both of these, but it would be dangerous to one’s spiritual life to consider them the embodiment of faith. Jesus directs us toward reckless mercy because he has already shown us the importance of faith. Once faith in God’s love and promises has been established, it makes this reckless mercy, one that loves enemies, gives exorbitantly and expects no return, possible.
Faith applies really well to what David did and what Jesus describes in today’s readings. Where one really needs faith, to know something is there even when we cannot see it, is not when it comes to things our reason can know but things that go beyond reason’s capacity to know. For example, our reason can know a lot of the “evidence” for our spouse loving us, but that is not the same thing as the faith that comes from knowing our spouse actually does. Our reason informs our faith, but does not replace it. David, has faith in God’s will that he is king, his reason has already informed him of this when he experiences his consecration by the prophet Samuel. However, he has greater faith in God’s will that he show mercy, especially to God’s anointed, Saul, despite Saul’s repeated attempts to kill David. David’s mercy was informed by his faith in God’s promises, even if he could not see their fulfillment in that fateful moment he stood over Saul’s sleeping body.
Ultimately, every “practical” sermon that Jesus provides is meant to move his hearers toward a more holistic charity. As charity is the form of the virtues, according to St. Thomas Aquinas, every other virtue must be in-formed by charity and every virtuous action of ours, including merciful actions, should be ordered toward charity. God’s mercy is informed by His charity because Charity is literally what God is (1 John 4:8). The more we act merciful, the more open we are to God’s mercy, which makes us more open to participate in God’s love. The more we participate in God’s love, the more we participate in God’s nature, which makes us more like God. This is called theosis and it is the experience of heaven we can have in this life as well as what we look toward, in Faith, in the next life.
Mike Schramm lives in southeastern Minnesota with his wife and seven children. There, he teaches theology and philosophy at Aquinas High School and Viterbo University. He earned his MA in theology from St. Joseph's College in Maine and an MA in philosophy from Holy Apostles College. He is also the managing editor of the Voyage Compass, an imprint of Voyage Comics and Publishing, and co-hosts the Voyage Podcast with Jacob Klatte.
