Stir into Flame the Gift of God

10-05-2025Weekly ReflectionFr. Manasseh lorchir, VC

It is quite easy for us to profess our faith in God and in His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, when the tide of life flows in our favor. We have all the words we need to motivate and encourage others when fortune seems to be smiling broadly upon us in every facet of life. It could be another story when we face trying moments where nothing seems to be working for us, when even God seems to have turned His back towards us and responds with silence when we cry out for help in prayer.

Doubt creeps in at such moments and we seem not to be able to find for ourselves the same words with which we encouraged others when they faced adversity. A close look at the evidence of Scripture will reveal that even the prophets of God were not spared from such trying moments in their relationship with God. One of such prophets was Habakkuk, a seer who exercised his prophetic ministry when Israel was confronting perilous times in the history of their relationship with God.

The united kingdom of Israel was long gone with the separation of the Northern kingdom from the South - the North had fallen to the Assyrians who herded her people into exile while the South was about to have their own experience of exile at the hands of a very powerful Babylonian empire. Habakkuk who had heard of God's goodness and justice employed the help of an imaginary dialogue between he and God to demonstrate that Israel needed to have faith in God even in the face of impending danger and even if God seemed to be silent at such a difficult time. In his dialogue with God, Habakkuk tabled his complaint against God's seeming lack of care for the welfare and security of the people who were under siege and His seeming silence as violence threatened the peace of their city. God's response to the prophet was a firm reassurance of God's faithfulness and justice as well as an invitation to Israel to not only have faith in Him but to be patient even if God's promise of redemption delays in coming. Like the people of Israel whose concerns were afforded expression through Habakkuk, we are often tempted to complain against God's seeming lack of care or protection against the hardships of the world. These include illness, loss of security, aggression from adversaries and disappointing outcomes from our concerted efforts. When we think we have done all that needs to be done for us to have a happy life, and yet encounter unhappiness, it is often tempting to despair. God reminds us that He is always faithful. God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.

In the Gospel passage, Jesus reminds us that our faith needs no mountainous appearance for us to achieve a righteous relationship with God. This understanding of faith by Jesus is collaborated by St. Paul in his Second Letter to Timothy where he admonishes the younger presbyter to fan into flame the gift of God that was given him when Paul conferred God's Spirit to him through the laying on of hands. The recipient of God's Spirit is not called to cowardice, fear and timidity but to great power, courage and self control. As bearers of this Divine gift which we received at baptism, we must strive to be people of faith, never lacking hope for a more intimate relationship with God who is always faithful and fanning into flame this faith and hope through prudent charity.

May the flame of faith and hope which the Spirit of God gives never be extinguished in us by the difficulties of this fleeting world. Moreover, may the charity we practice in the name of Christ who restored us to righteousness fuel the love of God in our hearts forever.

Please be kind and may God bless you.

Fr. Manasseh lorchir, VC