Dear Catholic Exchange,
My question is regarding Sunday, March 26th’s readings and Homily. The second reading was from Ephesians 2 and the Gospel read from John 3. My wife is from a Protestant background so she was very interested in hearing our pastor's Homily after the readings from these more famous New Testament chapters. Our Pastor's Homily did not include any discussion about the meaning of faith in Jesus Christ, but instead focused on the good works meaning from the Scripture readings. This led to a discussion with my wife regarding the teachings of the Catholic Church. I explained to my wife that I think the priest skipped over talking about the faith and grace part of the readings because he only has 10 minutes and he probably assumes if we are in church, then we are faithful Christians, who have solid faith in Jesus. So this led to even a greater question: How does one secure his or her entrance into heaven upon their death — Is it only through faith in Jesus Christ as one's Lord and Savior? Or, is it through one's good works here on earth? As a Catholic, I've always thought that faith and works is equally important. From my wife's background, she was taught that it is only through faith in Jesus does a person go to heaven.
I appreciate your answer(s) in helping my wife and I discern our faith.
Thank You and God Bless,
Michael Lorenz
Dear Mr. Lorenz:
The Christian faith is incarnational. If faith is not expressed in works of love, then as James tells us,
What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him? If a brother or sister is ill-clad and in lack of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what does it profit? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
At the same time, we cannot work our way into God's favor. We cannot put God into our debt. God saves us (and makes us able to obey him and do good works in love because of his grace, not because we muscle him into owing us something.
You can read about the Church's teaching on grace in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Mark Shea
Senior Content Editor
Catholic Exchange
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