But he would withdraw to deserted places to pray

11 JANUARY (Lk 5,12-16)

A faith without with no signs, no real works, a faith just pure doctrine, truth, word, teaching and learning is in all similar to some ground wheat. All the chemical structure of wheat is in it, and never might it be able to give life to other wheat. It is devoid of its vital germ. So it is of the word that remains word. There is the whole structure of the truth of God and of Christ in it; it lacks the germ of life, which is given by the sign; that is, by the word transformed into real life by us.

That faith that makes itself historical truth, visible, audible and palpable reality; attracts and wins hearts. The method of Jesus is not only of Jesus, it must be the method of every one of his disciples. No man is called to believe to the word that another man says. Every man is called to believe to the man that tells him the Word. In order to believe in the man that tells the Word, it is necessary that this attests he is a true sent by the true and only God and Lord. This credibility is fulfilled, if the one who says the Word of God and says it by carrying it out, realizing it, attesting that he is from God, and he really is if his Word clothes itself in him with creative omnipotence.

Philip said to him, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it. But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” (Jn 14,8-21).

This is the dynamic for the birth of a faith in a heart. When an apostle, a priest, a Christian do not turn out to be credible in their persons; they can even write beautiful treatises on faith, never does this start in a heart. They can also invent the most modern methods and techniques of mass communication, faith does not rise; for who is not credible is just the announcer of the Word.

Now there was a man full of leprosy in one of the towns where he was; and when he saw Jesus, he fell prostrate, pleaded with him, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I do will it. Be made clean.” And the leprosy left him immediately. Then he ordered him not to tell anyone, but “Go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.” The report about him spread all the more, and great crowds assembled to listen to him and to be cured of their ailments, but he would withdraw to deserted places to pray.

They speak of Jesus as a true sent of God, as his true prophet, his true messenger, his true herald and his true Messiah. Behind Jesus there is God that is seen. His omnipotence, mercy, forgiveness, holiness, charity and infinite goodness are seen. The Good Shepherd that comes to take care of the sheep, so that none of them is lost, is seen. If behind the Apostle, the priest, the Christian people do not see anyone; they sees only an official or a minister of the sacred, they will always go to them according to the vision, never according to the truth that they carry in their hearts, because this truth is not visible in them. The other person believes what he sees. If he sees God he believes in God, if he sees Christ he believes in Christ; if he sees a man he believes neither in God nor in man. The vision is the way of the faith, not the science and not even culture. Visions are the works of faith.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints make us credible.