Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 12, 2021
“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can this faith save him? ...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.”
The letter of St. James clearly reveals that we can see faith in action. We are saved by Jesus, so faith is essential. Faith cannot be observed, but our works tell the story.
The works of mercy, reflected in the judgement scene of Matthew, help us to examine how deep is our faith and how well it is expressed. Our care for the hungry, homeless, foreigner, the sick and dying is the expression of compassion and our response to Jesus Christ in them. They are us.
Much can be done, and thanks be to God, many around us are putting their faith into action. How can I join them?