Do You Believe He Can Help?

5 Dec

As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out,
“Son of David, have pity on us!”
When he entered the house,
the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them,
“Do you believe that I can do this?”
“Yes, Lord,” they said to him.
Then he touched their eyes and said,
“Let it be done for you according to your faith.”  (Mt 9:27-29)

“Let it be done for you according to your faith.”  Have you ever thought about that phrase?  The implications are both humbling and frightening.

Why do I say that?

It is very humbling to think that the all-powerful God who knows us inside and out would do whatever we, in faith, would ask.  To think that He would “take the time” to be with us and to do for us is incredible.

It is also very frightening to think that God deals with us “according to our faith”.  Frightening because many times our faith is weak, if not practically non-existent.  How many times have people — ourselves included — gone to the Lord in prayer not really expecting anything from Him.

Sometimes we do not expect anything because we are not sure God hears us.  Sometimes we do not expect anything because we do not think God can or will help us.  Sometimes we do not expect anything because we feel that we are too insignificant for God to want to help.

That could very well be our self-fulfilling prophecy.  If we do not have the faith to believe that God can help us, God may not.  Throughout the gospels, Jesus was always quoted as saying “your faith has healed you, your faith has made you well, your faith has restored life to your child.”  Lack of faith means that we will not go to the Lord in confidence.

Consider the blind men in today’s gospel.  They had heard about Jesus.  They believed that He could help them.  They continually besought Him until He helped them.  If you are in need, if you are down, if you are frightened, if you are confused, if you need help, be like the blind men:  ask and ask and ask and be confident that God can and will help you.

FAITH ACTION:  When you have some time to spend with God today, pray the Act of Faith and ask God to give you the graces you need to increase your faith.

Act Of Faith

O my God, I firmly believe that you are
one God in three divine Persons,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

I believe that your divine Son became
man and died for our sins, and that he
will come to judge the living and the
dead.

I believe these and all the truths which
the holy Catholic Church teaches, because
you have revealed them, who can neither
deceive nor be deceived.

Amen.