Saint Paul reminds us in his letter to the Galatians that faith in Jesus is a gift available to all who accept it. He argues that faith, and not the rigidity of law, declares that the invitation to follow Christ be extended to the Gentiles: …Through you shall all nations be blessed. Consequently, those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham who had faith (Galatians 3:8-9). Paul further exhorts that those who receive the gift of faith are to live by it so that they might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Pondering with gratitude the great gift that faith is in my life, I was prompted to revisit the Creed we profess during liturgical celebrations. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines our faith as a “response to God who reveals himself and gives himself to us, at the same time bringing to us a superhuman light as we search for the ultimate meaning of our lives” (CCC, #26, page 13 f). Two saints we may honor today exemplified this truth: Saint Denis, is believed to have been martyred for defending the Christian faith. Saint John Leonardi formed the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine in 1579—which published a compendium of Catholic doctrine that remained in use until the nineteenth century. He founded the Clerks Regular of the Mother of God, a community of priests in Italy dedicated to teaching Christian doctrine.

Saint Peter Julian writes of the fruits of living a eucharistic life of faith: Through the Eucharist, Jesus Christ does with the faithful soul what he did in creating [the human race]: he quickens it by his power, adorns it with his grace, and fills it with the delights of his love. He unites himself with it sacramentally and becomes its guiding principle, its center, and its life; becomes, in short, as if one with it (Eucharistic Retreats, Eymard Library; Vol 3, page 311).

Let Us Pray:

I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart in the company and assembly of the just. Great are the works of the Lord, exquisite in all their delights. Majesty and glory are his work, and his justice endures forever. He has won renown for his wondrous deeds; gracious and merciful is the Lord. He has given food to those who fear him; he will forever be mindful of his covenant. He has made known to his people the power of his works, giving them the inheritance of the nations. (Psalm 111)

Daily Eucharistic Reflection – Center for Eucharistic Evangelizing (eucharisticevangelizing.com)
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