Sunday Reflection with Fr Terry Tastard - 16 September 2012

Today I offer something not by myself, but written by the late Fr Michael Hollings. Of today's scriptures he wrote:

"One of the main issues of the Reformation was the discussion and disagreement about the theology of justification by faith alone. St James (James 2.14-18) in our second reading today cites the case of 'someone who has never done a single good act but claims he has faith. Will that faith save him? and after citing another instance of uselessness by refusing to help someone in need, he goes on: 'Faith is like that - if good works do not go with it, it is dead.' He is really doing no more than underlining what Jesus says elsewhere, "By their fruits you will know them.'...

"Today there is much less emphasis on justification by faith alone, and the pendulum has swung the other way, so that if anything people are relying too heavily on doing and not enough on faith or being. To be over busy may diminish reliance on God in faith. The concentrated effort of endeavouring to do everything by oneself can lead to a life lived without reference to God. There is indeed much to be done in every direction. There never seems enough time or enough people to do the work. But the balance is enormously important and there is no way that St James would want us to do the good deeds without faith. It is also particularly necessary to realise at the end of each day that not all has been achieved and much we must leave to God, as we go to bed saying our prayers.

"Without time given to the Lord we run the very real risk of 'burnout' in what we do. The situation has happened again and again. People feel that they can get on with their lives without the Lord. All they need is themselves. Even if they are committed in their faith they feel that they are too busy to pray to the Lord and deepen their relationship with him. When things start to go wrong they have no one to turn to. They have not had the practice of immersing themselves in the Lord and are lost. Do not become like them.

"Peter is right when he calls Jesus the Christ. Jesus shows that when we accept this we are called to act. To take up our cross, stand up to the world for the Lord is our vindicator. A faith that does not act in the world is not in full communion with Christ. In following the example of the disciples and Christ we show our faith is fully alive."

To what Fr Michael has written I would just add: that in following Christ through love of neighbour and acts of charity, we need to remember that Jesus himself took time apart. He would rise early and find a place of solitude, where he could be nourished by his heavenly Father. This is the one we seek to follow, both in prayer and in good deeds, in faith and action.

Fr Terry Tastard is Parish Priest of St Mary's, East Finchley, in north London.