1. In the Old Missal, the headings reads 'The development of Faith.'
The general outline of the 'Plan of Salvation' had been laid down in the Liturgy of the Mass from Advent up to Pentecost. All the teachings of Christ on how to deserve everlasting life had been laid down.
The Ordinary Sundays deals with the details of the 'Plan of Salvation.' Briefly in summary form, to attain salvation we must have perfect repentance, we must have perfect Faith and the beginnings of Charity. St. Thomas wrote that Charity can only be perfected in heaven so we only need the beginnings of Charity here on earth.
Perfect repentance is attainable by living the spirituality of the Old Testament. Let us look specifically at Faith. We must have the beginnings of Faith. Then we must develop that Faith until perfection. Only when we have perfect Faith will God infused in our soul the beginnings of the theological virtue of Charity. In the Liturgy, Christ saw to it that the apostles pass through these stages.
Since the general title of this section of the Liturgy is entitled 'Developing Faith,' it will begin to teach us how to attain the beginnings of Faith. But before we can begin, todays Gospel tells us the three obstacles that will prevent a soul from attaining the beginnings of Faith.
2. Saving souls.
The apostles were angry because the Samaritans were not welcoming Jesus Christ. So they wanted to call fire from heaven to destroy the Samaritans. Christ corrects them saying; well you are supposed to save souls and you cannot save anyone with that attitude of calling down fire from heaven everytime you meet sinners. They will end up in hell. You are supposed to bring them to the life of Faith.
3. Christ enumerates three attitudes that are obstacles to the attainment of Faith.
The first was shown by the man who wanted to follow Christ wherever He went. Christ corrects him that he cannot follow Christ with that attitude. What attitude? He was presumptuous believing that he can follow Christ where ever He went. St. Thomas of Aquinas wrote that 'where ever He went' means to what ever depth of wisdom and knowledge of doctrine. The man was presumptuous thinking that he can understand the teachings of Christ without the help of grace. Christ corrects him saying he cannot go anywhere in the knowledge of Christian teachings without the grace of God. The man's presumption disqualifies him from acquiring Faith.
The attitude of this first man was aggravated in that he wanted to be an apostle. Christ reminded us that to be a priest or bishop one has to be chosen and called by Christ. St. Thomas states that when following Christ we must work on the assumption that all of us will follow Christ as ordinary disciples. We should not desire to be apostles, priests or bishops. To do so is to disqualify us from attaining Faith.
Most of those working in the Church have these presumptions. They feel they are someone if they are members of the choir or a Eucharistic minister. They feel they deserve to become priests and bishops even without being chosen and called by Christ. Some behave like they are the fourth person of the Blessed Trinity when they become Pope. These presumptuous attitudes makes them unworthy to receive the virtue of Faith.
Most of these same persons think that they understand the depth of the truths of Christ just because they study in a seminary, in Bologna or Belgium, forgetting they cannot understand an iota of Catholic doctrine without graces from God. God said so.
It is this presumptuous pride that had caused such priests to fall into such depths of sin and scandals. There is nothing wrong to follow Christ. In fact, it is good to desire it but one must have the proper disposition; humility or the first Beatitude, poverty in spirit.
The second obstacle to the life of Faith is shown by the man who wanted to follow Christ but excused to bury his Father first. St. Thomas wrote the need to prioritise the importance of the soul over the body. Would you rather spend time burying the body of your father rather than praying for his soul that is facing God's judgment seat?
The bigger perspective is the importance in working for the salvation of the soul of one's loved ones, than working for the welfare of their bodies. If a soul prefers what is ordinarily done today where concern is for the physical or corporal needs of our neighbour, then that soul cannot follow Christ.
This is the erroneous trend of such movement as liberation theology with its concern for the economic need of the poor, the goal of immigrants for a better economic condition, for OCWs for better wages and for the ecological move for saving the ecology; these are soul that cannot follow Christ.
The third obstacle is looking back. He who puts his hands on the plow and looks back is unworthy of Me. When we plan to love God above all things, we must set aside everything that is not God. St. Augustine wrote, everything must be used; only God and neighbour must be loved.
In setting the love of all worldly things that is not God aside, we must not look back at the things we set aside. To do so is like the wife of Lot who was commanded to leave all things behind in Sodom and Gomorrah, symbolised by all worldly thing that must be set aside. Yet she looked back and was punished by being transformed into a pillar of salt.
The defect of most Catholics is that we have not left the love of all things outside of God. This has prevented us, not only from loving God but believing in God. It is an obstacle to Faith.
4. Most Catholics, both in the hierarchy and laity have all these obstacles. It is what caused the 'crisis of Faith' everybody is talking about today. There is no way to solve this problem except to remove these obstacles. Christ in the Gospel said so.
