Faith. What is it? What do we merit in order to possess it? Nothing! It is a free gift. God in His abundant, endless, mercy has gifted us the gift of faith. We didn't do anything nor can we do anything in order to possess it. God gives it.

If you have faith in God, it will show in your actions. 

On this 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, let us be more open to God's ocean of mercy, so that the faith He has given us may continue to grow each day and bear fruit in our lives. 

Our Lord asked his disciples, "who do people say I am?" They responded that many thought him to be John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the prophets. But Peter's voice silenced them all, "you are the Messiah, the Son of the living God". 

Today, this same question is asked of each of us - "who do you say that I am?" What will you answer? 

In this Twenty Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, let us profess our faith in Jesus. He is the Messiah, the Son of the living God! May we look upon the example of Mary, the true disciple of Jesus, in her commitment to faith and obedience to the will of God. 

In one way or another, today's deaf man in the gospel represents each one of us. Our modern society has become accustomed to the noises of the world, which make us deaf to the words of Jesus. A spiritual deafness is plaguing many of us today, including in our churches and faith communities. The deaf man in the gospel was healed by Jesus, and so too can we.

Let us answer the call of Jesus. May our ears become unsealed to Jesus' good news, so that we may continue to hear the words of the Father through Jesus, which are proclaimed to us in the gospels.