28 May 2019
Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter
The statement of Paul to his jailors that faith in Christ is necessary for salvation has led to no end of debate. Is faith alone enough? Like most theological positions, explanations and clarifications on this point run into the volumes. The Council of Trent, not praised enough, set the matter succinctly and clearly. Using decorative language of the 16th century, the Council stated that the position that one is saved by works alone is erroneous. If we could be saved by our own works, Jesus could have saved himself a trip. The source of our salvation is Christ and by his life, death, and resurrection, humanity was redeemed. Questions and problems abound in light of this statement, such as those asked by Jesuit missionaries in China who arrived at a complex and ethical society without any knowledge of the Christian faith and its message. Our mandate, given by Christ, is to witness to this message by our actions so that our faith and the actions that this faith demands attract others. As we pray in all the Eucharistic prayers, God’s mercy extends to those who die in his favor. This does not minimize our obligation to preach the Good News and to live lives that reflect these beliefs. However, the gift of faith that is not heard or received does not restrict the mercy of God to those men and women made in his image who have not heard this message. Jesuits, such as Matteo Ricci in China and Roberto di Nobili in India realized that the gift of faith is one that must be shared with respect and knowledge of how God has already been working in His creation prior to hearing the gospel.