This week's readings Week of October 13 - 19 Sunday, Oct. 13, 2002 Reading I: Is 25:6-10a Reading II: Phil 4:12-14, 19-20 Gospel: Mt 22:1-14 or 22:1-10 Monday, Oct. 14, 2002 Reading I: Gal 4:22-24, 26-27, 31-5:1 Gospel: Lk 11:29-32 Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2002 Reading I: Gal 5:1-6 Gospel: Lk 11:37-41 Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2002 Reading I: Gal 5:18-25 Gospel: Lk 11:42-46 Thursday, Oct. 17, 2002 Reading I: Eph 1:1-10 Gospel: Lk 11:47-54 Friday, Oct. 18, 2002 Reading I: 2 Tm 4:10-17b Gospel: Lk 10:1-9 Saturday, Oct. 19, 2002 Reading I: Eph 1:15-23 Gospel: Lk 12:8-12 Pope's Prayer Intentions October General Intention That parishes and catechists may work together for the new evangelization: That catechists may have the prayers and collaboration of their parish communities for the successful accomplishment of the new evangelization. October Mission Intention That proclaimers of the word teach Christ's love for the poor: That missionaries, priests, religious, and the laity courageously teach Jesus Christ's love for the poor.

Faith: The invisible,
the incredible, the impossible

		Word of God  Word of Life  Fr. John G. Stillmank

A recent gift of a paperweight from a good friend holds these words attributed to an author known only as anonymous: "Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible, and receives the impossible." (Incidentally the paperweight is made in the form of a triangle, an ancient sign or symbol of the Trinity.)

Faith sees the invisible! "We walk by faith, and not by sight," teach the Scriptures. Our belief in God is grounded not in what we can see with our earthly eyes, but what we know by the spiritual gift of the Lord God. We have been taught by the Scriptures, sheltered in the house of the Church, and nourished by the Lord's Sacraments.

"What we truly need is God's love, as invisible as it is, as incredible it seems that we may attain it, and as impossible as it would be for man, but not for God."

It is our hearts which see what our eyes cannot, for in our hearts resides the Triune God. Jesus' parable of the king who gave a wedding feast for his son shows us the powerful, invisible love of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. "The hall was filled with guests," we read, for the king was not content with a hall not filled.

Invisible, too, is the faith in our hearts, unless we make it visible in the world by our deeds and words. We who have faith are called to embody it in the world, showing others that faith itself is not invisible if it is genuine, real, and holy.

Readings for 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Oct. 13, 2002) Is 25:6-10a Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6 Phil 4:12-14, 19-20 Mt 22:1-14 or 22:1-10

Faith believes the incredible! There is a harsh side to this parable, that those who were invited refused to come and even abused and killed the king's servants. They met a just end for their failure to recognize who it was who invited them to the banquet.

It is incredible that those guests should refuse such an invitation. It is incredible that the king should then replace them with others by sending his servants again and again into the highways and alleys to bring forth banqueters for his feast. It is incredible that some today refuse the gifts of Scripture, the Church, and the Sacraments in favor of what the world has to offer.

Incredible, too, would be the sadness of our fate should we turn our backs on the Lord who gives the gift of faith. With open arms he welcomes us, and even helps us throughout our lives to turn away from sin and believe in the Gospel. And when our lives are complete, he will review with us the choices we have made.

Faith receives the impossible! It is impossible that sinners should be loved by God, isn't it? And yet he loves us!

It is impossible that enemies should become friends, isn't it? And yet Jesus teaches us to love even our enemies!

It is impossible that bread and wine should change into the Body and Blood of Jesus the Christ, isn't it? And yet we know his presence is real!

The eyes of faith receive the impossible, not rejecting what God offers because it is invisible or incredible, but opening the hearts of believers to the depth of the mystery of God's love.

Impossible, too, is forgiveness of sins, unless God forgives and teaches us to do the same. He gave that authority to his Church, so that through the sacrifice of Jesus sins might be forgiven. It would seem impossible to refuse such a gift, and yet impossibly some do.

The invisible? Faith sees it. The incredible? Faith believes it. The impossible? Faith receives it. "My God will fully supply what you need," writes Saint Paul, and that is as good a summary of what faith knows as any, for what we truly need is God's love, as invisible as it is, as incredible it seems that we may attain it, and as impossible as it would be for man, but not for God.

Fr. John G. Stillmank is Moderator of the Curia for the Diocese of Madison and pastor of St. Andrew Parish, Verona, and St. William Parish, Paoli.