The reading from St. Paul to the Ephesians, 2:4-10, presents to us a beautiful verse: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is a gift of God.”
This verse echoes Jesus’ words to the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well in our Gospel Reading for Cycle A, from John 4:5-42, which is used for the Mass of Scrutinies with our catechumens: “If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”
Friends, our Christian faith is a gift from God to us. We must value it, safeguard it, and nurture it. It is what has imbued us with resilience, courage, joy, and motivation. Just like any gift, we risk losing it if we fail to cherish, protect, and cultivate it. Therefore, it is crucial to maintain a disciplined prayer life, deepen our personal relationship with Jesus through studying and meditating on the Scriptures, participating in liturgies, receiving the Sacraments, and practicing corporal and spiritual works of mercy, such as feeding the homeless, visiting the sick, comforting the sorrowful, and educating others about our faith.
A gift that is received and shared is a gift that endures. This is why we have invited some of our parishioners to share their faith with us after the closing prayer of every Mass during the Sundays of Lent. Through their prayers and personal experiences with God, both their faith and ours, as listeners, are fortified and uplifted. Every act of prophetic ministry or testimony is intended to bolster, support, and fortify the faith of others.
Let us observe Lent not only through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, but also by sharing the greatest treasure we have received: our faith in Jesus, our Lord and Savior.
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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.
