Today’s readings lead us to consider the mystery of the gift of faith.  While the handiwork of God is on public display and the Word goes out liberally, not all come to believe what is revealed and to live according to the truth.    

The first reading from Acts tells us of a dramatic miracle involving a crippled man who was healed.  Paul somehow discerned that this man had the faith to be healed, so he called out to him, “Stand up straight on your feet.”  In response, the man “jumped up and began to walk about.”  Paul had faith, too.  Can you imagine the awkwardness if nothing had happened? 

Paul and Barnabas had been preaching the good news of Jesus Christ to the people of Lycaonia, but they did not see this miracle as validating this new teaching.  They saw it instead through a more familiar lens shaped by their own religion. They called for the priest of their god, Zeus, thinking that a sacrifice should be shown in honor of a divine visitation.  

The people of Lycaonia interpreted this event based on the stories they knew, and perhaps that was the best they could do at the time.  The evangelistic work of Paul and Barnabas had not yet borne the fruit of faith, repentance, and obedience. How could they understand redemptive and sacrificial love without a new understanding of God that would displace pagan ideas from their mythology?  Despite their efforts to clarify, Paul and Barnabas “scarcely restrained” the crowds.

Today’s gospel deepens our understanding of how faith comes about.  Judas (not Judas Iscariot, who betrayed our Lord), asked Jesus “What happened that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?”  Indeed, the Lord revealed himself to all in his public teaching and ministry, including miraculous works, putting his identity on display to all the world.  But many of those who saw apparently could not perceive enough to understand and believe in our Lord. 

The generation of faith remains shrouded in mystery.  Today’s gospel suggests that love functions as a catalyst:  love for God, which is manifested by keeping God’s word, is accompanied by love from God, producing a relationship in which further revelation occurs.  That love becomes intimate as God chooses to dwell among those who love Him and keep his Word.  We can surmise that God, who created all things, is the source of this love, which is somehow gifted to us.  But nevertheless, sometimes it is not so easy to see God’s love, even when it is right in front of us.  We need assistance.

Having a holy fear of God – beginning with a basic respect for the reality that He is our creator and that His words deserve respect and attention – seems to play an important role in initiating this holy reaction rooted in love that leads to intimacy and dwelling together with our Lord.  In our modern world, holy fear is sometimes displaced by an attitude toward God as a gentle, benign force that can be ignored until we have a crisis.  This is not living in reality.

In today’s gospel, our Lord promised Judas that the Holy Spirit would be sent to teach us, which ensures that we are not dependent solely on our own devices, which can sometimes lead us astray, just as the people of Lycaonia.  We need the humility to seek assistance, the openness to receive and learn, and the gratitude to hold on to that teaching.  We have been given the gift of the Church and its sacraments to help us to think together and grow under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit, so that we may be formed into a people where God can make his dwelling. 

Lord, help your Church to do the work of evangelism, not only in teaching but also in living out all of your commands in holy respect for your person. Help us to embrace humility and gratitude, knowing that your love was sent to us while we were yet sinners to draw us to dwell with you, both now and for eternity.  Thanks be to God.