Grant us the faith to love you

Faith is an amazing gift from God. When the Candidates are Presented in the Common Worship Baptism service, we’re reminded by the president, as they address the whole congregation, that, “Faith is the gift of God to his people.”

We need the gift of faith to be able to know and appreciate God’s gift of love to each of us. It has to be said, though, that us having faith in God doesn’t cause him to love us; he loves us whatever we believe. There is nothing in heaven or on earth that can separate us from God’s love: as St Paul says, “I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God” (Romans 8:38-39). But without faith, we wouldn’t be able to truly experience God’s love for ourselves. It would be odd to say, “I don’t really have faith in, believe in, your existence, but nevertheless, it’s good that you love me” — odd indeed, and probably somewhat ridiculous.

God loves each and every one of us; as much, and more, as if we were each the only one too love. God loves each and every one of us so much that he was willing to sacrifice himself on a cross for us, to die a hideous death, for us, each one of us — you, me, our families, friends and neighbours, even people we don’t like very much (yes, he died for them too).

But without faith, we couldn’t experience God’s love. With faith, we can truly know his love, experience it, appreciate it, and share it. With faith, we can begin to love God too. And our love for God, tiny as it is in comparison to his love for us, will greatly magnify how we know and experience God’s love for us.

With that faith, and that love, we can be beside our Saviour Jesus Christ on the way of the cross, today, on this Palm Sunday, and on into Holy Week. We need not be afraid.

True and humble king,
hailed by the crowd as Messiah:
grant us the faith to know you and love you,
that we may be found beside you
on the way of the cross,
which is the path of glory.

Additional Collect for Palm Sunday
is Copyright © The Archbishops Council