"increase our faith" (lk 17:5)
"Faith is confident assurance concerning what we hope for, and conviction about things we do not see." —Hebrews 11:1
Faith is confidence, assurance, conviction. "Because of faith the men of old were approved by God" (Heb 11:2). Without faith, we don't understand the origins of creation and life, for "what is visible came into being through the invisible" (Heb 11:3). "Without faith, it is impossible to please" God (Heb 11:6).
Examples of faith are:
- Abel offering sacrifice acceptable to God (Heb 11:4),
- Enoch being "pleasing to God" and being taken to heaven without dying (Heb 11:5),
- Noah building the ark (Heb 11:7),
- Abraham going forth "not knowing where he was going" (Heb 11:8),
- Sarah at the age of ninety conceiving a child (Heb 11:11),
- Abraham being willing to sacrifice His son Isaac (Heb 11:17),
- Moses' parents "disregarding the king's edict" (Heb 11:23),
- Moses wishing "to be ill-treated along with God's people rather than enjoy the fleeting rewards of sin" (Heb 11:25),
- the Israelites crossing the Red Sea (Heb 11:29), and
- Israel bringing down the walls of Jericho (Heb 11:30).
"What more shall I recount? I have no time to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, did what was just, obtained the promises; they broke the jaws of lions, put out raging fires, escaped the devouring sword; though weak they were made powerful, became strong in battle..." (Heb 11:32-34).
Prayer: Father, "increase our faith" (Lk 17:5).
Promise: "A cloud came, overshadowing them, and out of the cloud a voice: 'This is My Son, My Beloved. Listen to Him.' " —Mk 9:7
Praise: The founders of the Servites couldn't have had such an influence for good if they have had remained as good individual Christians rather than uniting their efforts in Christian community.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Ralph J. Lawrence, August 9, 2000
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, August 18, 2000