November 29, 2013
Dear Friends,
Faith and Works
A reading from the Letter of Saint James 2, 14 – 26:
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith but does not have works. Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessaries of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
Indeed someone might say, “You have faith and I have works.” Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works. You believe that God is one. You do well. Even the demons believe that and tremble. Do you want proof, you ignoramus, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by the works. Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called “the friend of God.” See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by a different route? For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
The sun came out yesterday after the rain and wind of the day before disappeared. It was 10 degrees Celsius yesterday. Today it will be colder and we might get some rain and some snow.
Below you will find the message of Our Lord and Savior given to Father Melvin. Jesus spoke to him these words:
“Is your faith shown by your works, My brother Melvin and all My brothers and sisters? It is very good to believe in God the Father and to believe in Me your Savior. This means that you believe in God intellectually but if you do not show your faith by good works then your faith is useless. What do you think of a person who visits the sick, helps the poor, helps the elderly and forgives people. By doing all that, this person shows that he or she has a great love for Me, his or her Savior. It is your faith that brings you to prayer every day and pushes you to go to Holy Mass every Sunday and to receive Me in Holy Communion. Faith alone is not enough, you need to show your faith by all kinds of good works. I bless you all.”
Father Melvin