Faith

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Faith Of Our Father
© 2006

by

Stephen A. Peterson

The little daughter of Robert Punto, a wealthy restaurant owner on the southwest side of Oklahoma City, was very sick. “Father, please come by my house and pray over my daughter. If you do, maybe God will see fit to make her better,” plead Roberto. So the priest quickly gathered himself and went with Roberto to the Punto residence.

While on their way to the Punto house, Roberto received a cell on his cell phone that he was too late. The seven year old daughter, his only child, had died. Turning to the priest, Roberto’s eyes now filled with tears reacted: “I’ve failed. But will believe God will work a miracle in spite of what I have been told.”

“I’ll go to your house anyway,” responded the priest. “Remember that God, Our true Father, often works in ways that humankind cannot generally fathom or understand. Have faith that the Lord knows exactly what He is doing. Regardless, I believe everything will be okay for you and your family, Roberto. Trust God!”

When they arrived at the Punto house, mourning was already in progress. The priest entered the room then told everyone present, “the Lord is present in this house. Little Rosa is not dead! All present should pray.”

As the small group prayed, Rosa arose, without a sign of the illness and with a smile of happiness on her face. It was though she was asleep. As people began to leave the Punto residence, some believed it to be a miracle that had occurred while others thought the little girl had recovered from simple non-threatening illness. They believed God had nothing to do with anything.

“Do not thank me. Thank God. My presence had nothing to do with this. It is the faith of little Rosa’s father. Our Almighty Father looked into the heart Roberto and saw the unconditional love he had for God and for his earthly child,” said the priest.

Daily, in ways most people will never understand, we are brought face to face with the living God. In this instance, a father’s faith in God restored life and health to a child who in the opinion of some was dead. About to lose his only child, Roberto, with the encouragement of a priest and some of his friends, prayed to God’s only son, Jesus Christ, for help. And he received God’s mercy! Such faith is a living legacy that many have seemingly lost in a world today dominated by materialism, hedonism, humanism and egoism. Such people often respond by cursing, cussing, rejecting and dismissing God’s existence and presence because God does not do what they want done or have fallen for atheistic beliefs. Christ Himself warned with eternal damnation for those who fail to recognize Him and God’s Word. Christ condemned the selfish motives of humanity and its tendencies towards worldly things.

Blessed is the child who receives from their parent or parents the gift of faith—strong, vital and, in this instance, Roberto-like!

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