Audrey Mariamo
November 4th 2014
Theology 201
Dr. Paul Allen
Sermon Report on “How Great is Your Faith” by Fr. Robert Barron
In his sermon “How Great is Your Faith” Father Robert Barron, founder of “Word on Fire” Catholic Ministries, discusses the gospel story of the persistent Canaanite woman. With references to sources of theology, Barron examines the themes of human faith, and the testing of that faith by God, in this intriguing passage of the New Testament.
The gospel story explained by Father Robert Barron is that of a Canaanite woman persistently asking for Jesus, who is in pagan territory with his disciples, to help her daughter who is tormented by a ‘demon’. At first, Jesus responds to the mother’s request with silence; however, …show more content…
The passage discussed in Barron’s homily includes two important topics conveyed in both the Old Testament and the New Testament: humanity’s faith - the trusting in God and his promises - and the testing of that faith. In his sermon, Father Barron reminds us that God’s aim was to restore his creation and that Israel was the instrument for the salvation of the world; thus, restoring Israel would consequently restore the world. In order to ensure a complete and honest restoration of God’s creation, Jesus had no choice but to test the faith of his people. While this is surprising, seeing that Jesus embodies God’s love and compassion, Barron reminds listeners that they are not being tested in a negative way. He refers to human experience by reminding his audience that every Christian has had an occurrence similar to that of the Canaanite woman; believers, just like she was, have surely been met with silence when asking God for his help. The silence in response to the woman’s request, and in response to our prayers, is a test, Barron says, that may or may not reveal a true hunger for God. Christians are meant to identify with the woman who, according to the speaker, embodies the world’s longing for God’s justice, mercy and love. The perseverance of prayer reveals how great one’s faith is, and is meant to prepare believers to receive the gift of God and appreciate this gift as thoroughly as
November 4th 2014
Theology 201
Dr. Paul Allen
Sermon Report on “How Great is Your Faith” by Fr. Robert Barron
In his sermon “How Great is Your Faith” Father Robert Barron, founder of “Word on Fire” Catholic Ministries, discusses the gospel story of the persistent Canaanite woman. With references to sources of theology, Barron examines the themes of human faith, and the testing of that faith by God, in this intriguing passage of the New Testament.
The gospel story explained by Father Robert Barron is that of a Canaanite woman persistently asking for Jesus, who is in pagan territory with his disciples, to help her daughter who is tormented by a ‘demon’. At first, Jesus responds to the mother’s request with silence; however, …show more content…
The passage discussed in Barron’s homily includes two important topics conveyed in both the Old Testament and the New Testament: humanity’s faith - the trusting in God and his promises - and the testing of that faith. In his sermon, Father Barron reminds us that God’s aim was to restore his creation and that Israel was the instrument for the salvation of the world; thus, restoring Israel would consequently restore the world. In order to ensure a complete and honest restoration of God’s creation, Jesus had no choice but to test the faith of his people. While this is surprising, seeing that Jesus embodies God’s love and compassion, Barron reminds listeners that they are not being tested in a negative way. He refers to human experience by reminding his audience that every Christian has had an occurrence similar to that of the Canaanite woman; believers, just like she was, have surely been met with silence when asking God for his help. The silence in response to the woman’s request, and in response to our prayers, is a test, Barron says, that may or may not reveal a true hunger for God. Christians are meant to identify with the woman who, according to the speaker, embodies the world’s longing for God’s justice, mercy and love. The perseverance of prayer reveals how great one’s faith is, and is meant to prepare believers to receive the gift of God and appreciate this gift as thoroughly as