Abba Daniel said’; “The body prospers in the measure in which the soul is weakened, and the soul prospers in the measure in which the body is weakened.”
When we allow the temptations to overrun our lives, we are weakening the soul, we are hurting our relationship with God who has entrusted us with so much. However, when we remain faithful, and loyal to God, then we able to keep our earthly desires, and passions in check. Jesus tells us, “When a man has had a great deal given him, a great deal will be demanded of him, when a man has had a great deal given him on trust, even more will be expected of him”.
Jesus puts out a parable that contrasts faithful with unfaithful stewards. One who is faithful and wise, who remains faithful, loyal, committed to carrying out the duties entrusted to him, and the other who turns out to be untrustworthy, despondent, who allows himself to be overrun with consequential behavior (wasting himself into worldly vices).
Cultivating Faithfulness
Jesus invites us to be faithful and wise disciples of his. He wants us to remain mindful and attentive to him, and all that he has entrusted to us as parents, spouse, religious or any position of responsibility we stand for. Jesus himself remains faithful to the work of God. We know that he was faithful to his mission; he went around preaching, healing and giving new life to people that gathered around him. He was even faithful to his enemies and restored the ear of a centurion who came to arrest him. The scriptures paint a clear picture for us of a Jesus who is loyal, committed to carrying out God’s will at all costs.
Faithfulness is a Christian virtue that we all ought to cultivate in our lives.
- It is a virtue that rewards the soul with inner peace and joy and tempers bodily desires and passions.
- Faithfulness is characterized by; honesty and integrity, being able to live truthfully by our good and positive values, remaining true to our commitments, being the kind of people in whom those around us can place their confidence,
- It means being steadfast, able to persevere through tough and testing situations.
God's Faithfulness
Faithfulness is a key character trait of God and one that he expects of us. Fortunately, God also gives the grace and strength for us to remain faithful to him,
- He rewards faithfulness so that our hearts and souls are enflamed with love, kindness, and attention to the needs of the poor.
- Jesus himself was able to remain faithful even to his enemies; we see him restoring the ear of one those who came to arrest him. He never succumbed to anger, or retaliation.
- Being faithful servants of God, certainly can be a source of inspiration and birth of new life in our faith journey.
- Faithfulness as exemplified by Jesus’ life and mission fosters inner peace and a clear conscience while producing personal growth, spiritual maturity and a resilient spirit in our lives
- We are all called to be faithful and wise in that same sense. Let the words of Abba Daniel continue to ring in our hearts, to speak to us distinctively and loudly: The body prospers in the measure in which the soul is weakened, and the soul prospers in the measure in which the body is weakened
- Today’s Readings
- Father David's inspirational homily was recorded live during Mass at the Father Peyton Center this morning. You can view the Mass (and the Rosary at the 30-minute mark) on the Family Rosary YouTube page.
- To join the Rosary and Mass Livestream, visit the Family Rosary YouTube or Facebook page at 11:30 a.m. Eastern, Monday – Friday. Consider inviting others to join too! (*If you are not a member of Facebook and a signup window appears, simply select the X at the top of the pop-up message and continue to the livestream.)