Today is laetare Sunday; the halfway point in our Lenten journey. The Gospel passage from John contains the familiar John 3:16 verse which many athletes have tattooed or inscribed in their eye black: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” However, sometimes people feel that belief is all that is necessary for eternal life. As we read further in this passage, belief needs to lead toward good works.
During the Protestant reformation in the sixteenth century a popular saying arose which basically said “sola fidei”—faith alone. This was to counter an erroneous belief that one could be saved by doing good works. However, the Catholic position is, and always has been, that our faith (or belief) must issue forth in good works and our good works demonstrate our belief. It is not enough to believe in Jesus; we must also live our lives in imitation of him who saved us.
As we continue our journey through Lent, examine how our fasting, almsgiving, and prayer have been going. Have we put our beliefs into practice? And have our actions reflected our belief in Jesus Christ?
– Msgr. John
