One of the things that we look for in any relationship is faithfulness. There are good times and there are bad times, but what a great blessing is a friend who is faithful. Sometimes we are up, sometimes we are down, but what such a great blessing if a friend is faithful. In any relationship, sometimes it is smooth and sometimes it is rough, but what a great blessing if a friend is faithful.

When Adam and Eve sinned, the very first promise of God was to send a Messiah. God never, never forgot His promise. Today’s Gospel is about the genealogy of Jesus starting from Abraham. All names and all persons have been accounted for. This is a testimony that at God’s given time, he has fulfilled his promise. A testimony of God’s faithfulness.

That is why in this Mass, three things about God’s faithfulness:

1. When we pray we wait, and we wait with hope. Often when we pray, we want our prayers answered instantly. Sometimes it does happen. But often it does not. God knows what is best and at his given time and given way, He will answer our prayers. Hence, how fitting are the words of Padre Pio: “Pray, Hope and Don’t Worry.”
   
2. Even when we are not faithful, God is always faithful. The time of Abraham to David was a time of faithfulness of the Jews. The time of David to the Babylonian exile was a time of unfaithfulness. Yet God has and will always be faithful. He remained faithful. That is why never think that we are being punished when things are not right in our lives. God is faithful. For those who begin to lose faith, hold on to God. 
   
3. In life, we only see a page. God knows the book. Hence trust God most especially when life is not going well. Everything happens for a reason and purpose. Maybe, for now, it does not make sense. But remember from our greatest troubles come our greatest rewards.

That is why if God is faithful: 

• Why put a mark on the head of the baby so that the baby is not afflicted by the evil eye? 
• Why put Feng Shui charms in our house even if we have an altar? 
• Why slit the throat of a chicken and scatter the blood around the property before we build a house? 
• Why wear red and have round fruits during new year to bring good luck? 
• Why all these strange beliefs when someone dies? 
• Why read all the horoscopes and go to fortune-tellers? 
• Why the amulet?

The typical response is, “It won’t hurt.” 

Indeed, for the one who is not faithful, “It won’t hurt.” If God will not answer me, then I go to the occult. But for one who truly trusts God, he will wait, he will hope, he will pray, he will do good, he will fast. God is good and He will never abandon me.