💖 HOMILY - OCTOBER 17 💖

First Reading - Romans 4:1-8 

Gospel - Luke 12:1-7

Have you ever tried to earn someone’s love — by doing everything right, by trying to prove your worth — only to realize that real love can’t be earned, only received? That truth lies at the heart of today’s readings. God’s love and acceptance are not rewards for performance but gifts of mercy received through faith.

In the first reading, St. Paul turns to Abraham as the great example of faith. Abraham was not justified because of his works but because he trusted in God. “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” This means that what made Abraham pleasing to God was not his perfection, but his faith — his total reliance on God’s promise even when he couldn’t see the outcome. Paul reminds us that righteousness is not something we achieve, but something God graciously grants to those who believe.

In the Gospel, Jesus tells His disciples not to be afraid, for they are precious in the sight of God. He warns them to avoid the hypocrisy of the Pharisees — those who appear righteous but whose hearts are filled with pride and fear. Instead, Jesus calls for integrity, courage, and trust in the Father’s care. “Even the hairs of your head are all counted,” He says, “so do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

Dear friends, true faith isn’t about earning God’s favor through perfection or performance. It’s about living in deep trust that God loves us even in our weakness and that His mercy is greater than our sin.

This faith invites us to stop living out of fear — fear of not being good enough, fear of what others think, or fear of the future. Instead, it calls us to live out of confidence in God’s love. When we truly believe that God values us beyond measure, we find the freedom to live honestly, humbly, and joyfully.

Like Abraham, we are called to believe that God’s promises are trustworthy, even when life feels uncertain. And like the disciples, we are invited to cast away fear and live as beloved children under the gaze of a loving Father.

Our worth is not measured by what we accomplish, but by who we are in God’s eyes — His sons and daughters. Let us, then, live with the peace and courage that come from knowing we are loved beyond measure. Let our faith not be one of fear or pretense, but of trust — the kind of trust that allows God’s grace to make us truly righteous and truly free.