It is 23rd February 2019. We celebrate the memorial of St Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr. The readings are from Hebrews 11:1-7; and the Gospel Mark 9:2-13. Faith is the unopposed approval of God that offers the believer to hope and to have enormous spiritual power to do and say that pleases God. It is through faith alone we come closer in understanding the plan and will of God in our life. Without faith we not be able to walk in the darkness and hopeless situations of life. Faith is the recognition God’s presence and due acknowledgement of the same in every sphere of our life. True faith delays our requests at times never denies our petitions. Faith prepares us to deal with the evil that is about to happen. Faith never condemns us rather consoles us and calm us down in times of tribulations and temptations. It is faith that ennobles and enhances us to offer the sacrifices that make God to shower blessings on us. Faith is one of the three theological gifts. No one can experience God without faith and encounter God in one another without faith. To believe in the unseen and hoping in events and things that is beyond human explanation. The first reading presents us with the unmatchable faith of the fathers namely Abel, Enoch and Noah. Faith is more than mere trust. It is a complete surrender of a human soul to believe that God can do this for me anyhow. We need to transcend ourselves beyond some spiritual experiences of seeing and believing to believing and understanding. Through our regular prayer, meditation, contemplation and reflection, we need to take care and mend our faith. We might lose our faith when we do not care for it anymore. We need to keep communicating with the Holy Spirit to strengthen our faith. Faith is the revelation of God we accept it without any doubt and debate. It is not by debates and discussions, we nurture our faith rather by embracing and enlivening traces of God’s Word. The responsorial Psalm praises, “I will bless your name for ever, O Lord.” (Ps.144:1). The Gospel describes the unfolding event of Transfiguration as the prelude to the resurrection of Jesus. Having accepted Jesus as the Messiah, now the disciples witnessed Him as the Son of God. Our faith in Jesus and the personal experience and encounter helps us to be the priest, prophet and the servant of God as St. Peter professed the unwavering faith, St. James to become the first martyr and St. John to be the witness of love through suffering. If our faith is not shining as light in actions, our faith needs to be reviewed and strengthened. May the Lord help us to have a strong faith when the storms of life uprooting the roots of our belief in God. May you have a good day. God bless you.