Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well, " but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Being a Christian is more than just thinking good thoughts and proclaiming the good news. Our faith is more than just our beliefs, it is also our actions. Our good deeds say much more about what we truly believe than any thought we can have or word we can say. Without good works, we have a hollow faith. When faced with an opportunity to be charitable or merciful to another person, we cannot pass up the chance to help. If we do pass it up, then we fail to live up to the name of Christian. However, if we do everything we can to help those in need, then we shall be alive in our faith and be found worthy of spending eternal life with God in Heaven.

Do we express our faith in works as well as thoughts and words? How can we become more charitable and merciful to others? Are our eyes open to the opportunities to do good deeds for those in need?

O Lord, give us the grace to live out our faith through our good works.

Amen.