Early in my life as a teenager, I learned the wisdom of living the Gospel in the present moment through my involvement in the Focolare Movement, founded by the Italian teacher and author Chiara Lubich in 1942. The movement aims to proclaim the Word of Life (the Gospel) to all people, inspiring them to put it into practice in the present moment and promoting unity among them.
As a young college seminarian, I would have weekly meetings with a group of fellow students to discuss how to bring the Gospel to life through our relationships with the people we meet daily. Each group member would share specific acts of charitable work we had performed for others. These actions could be as simple as speaking to a stranger or newcomer at school, helping a fellow seminarian with his studies, or showing respect to a teacher. These weekly Focolare Movement meetings, along with our commitment to live the Gospel in the present moment, had a profound impact on my life. They made me conscious, even today, of the importance of examining how I am putting the Gospel of Life and Love into daily practice.
This Sunday’s Second Reading, James 2:14-18, speaks about living the Gospel authentically through our works: “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and no food for the day, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,’ but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
The Letter of James’ emphasis on “works” has confused some about the distinction between being saved by faith and by merit. To clarify this dogmatic conflict, I rely on what my Scripture seminary professor taught me. He explained that our actions are reflections of our faith. In other words, we do not only express our belief in the Gospel by proclaiming it to others; we demonstrate our belief and the transformative power of the Gospel through our generous, kind, and loving deeds. Indeed, we allow our faith to shine through our acts of charity.
In a similar vein, this Sunday’s Gospel, Mark 8:27-35, relates an incident where Peter rebuked Jesus upon hearing him say that he, the Son of Man, would be rejected by his own people, killed, and rise again in three days. Jesus sternly reminded them that their lives must demonstrate self-sacrificial love and service to others if they are to be his true followers. Any egoistic motives for following him as disciples stem from Satan, His Enemy.
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The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
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Fr. Rodel “Odey” Balagtas is the pastor of Incarnation Church in Glendale, California.
