Life through Faith

"It is my choice to die at the hands of men with the God-given hope of being restored to life by him; but for you, there will be no resurrection to life." 2 Maccabees 7:14

The first part of this biblical passage is about seven brothers and their mother, who are suffering for their religious beliefs. They have a spokesman declare that they would rather die than disobey God’s law. The second part of the passage, when the brothers are dying, they say to the king that it doesn’t matter that he is making them suffer on Earth, because they will be rewarded in heaven. When the fourth brother was close to dying, he said to the king that he is glad to know that when he is killed by him, that he will be raised again by God. No matter what hardships we face in our lives, as long as we remain faithful to God, we will be rewarded in heaven when we die. Because of this, we should not be afraid to stand up for our beliefs even if the world is telling us it is wrong.

This passage expresses the Hoban core value of zeal.  The Hoban website defines zeal as “a hunger for mission, a passion to continue what Jesus of Nazareth began through His life, teaching, and example.” The brothers in this story are eager and willing to die for their beliefs.  What are we willing to give up to live out Christ’s mission?  Do we avoid doing what is right because we are afraid it will make us unpopular?  Do we accept everyone with the hospitality of Christ without being reminded to by a teacher?  Are we sometimes reluctant to share our faith?

The Catholic Catechism teaches us about faith and obedience:  

Faith is the theological virtue by which we believe in God and believe all that he has said and revealed to us, and that Holy Church proposes for our belief, because he is truth itself. By faith "man freely commits his entire self to God." For this reason the believer seeks to know and do God's will. "The righteous shall live by faith. " Living faith "work[s] through charity."  (CCC 1814)

Our moral life has its source in faith in God who reveals his love to us. St. Paul speaks of the "obedience of faith" as our first obligation. He shows that "ignorance of God" is the principle and explanation of all moral deviations. Our duty toward God is to believe in him and to bear witness to him.  (CCC 2087)

 We will make it to Heaven if we obey his will and spread the faith to others.  By only listening to what God wants and not listening to what others want will help us to live as God wills.

Prayer:
Lord, please bless me with courage.
Bless me with the courage to be loyal to you.
Bless me with the courage to honor your laws through any situation.
For you will be with me through the darkest times in life.
And guide me to live a greater life with you in heaven.
Amen