2nd October 2022
Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4/ 2Tim 1:6-8, 13-14/ Luke 17:5-10
LORD INCREASE OUR FAITH
It is the joy of every master to see his student improving. At the ordination of one SVD Bishop, John Alphonse Asiedu, SVD for the Donkorkrom Vicariate in the Afram Plains, Ghana, I had a hearty chat with Fr. Fred Timp, SVD who used to be our prefect in the seminary. He was extremely excited to see one of his students being ordained, Bishop. He even exclaimed, “at last all-powerful master…”
The disciples of Jesus realized that their master’s faith was so high and intense so much so that they told their master “increase our faith.” They saw the faith of the master and they desired it. There are instances where we meet people with strong faith and that impresses us. People who go through hard times and yet look up to the Lord in faith. We hear statements like “it has been very hard but the Lord has been on our side.” Jesus’ answer to the disciples when they asked him to increase their faith was, that they do not need an increase of faith rather, they could do things with the faith they already have. Jesus says a little faith is enough. “If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to a tree to be uprooted and it would.” The faith you have is enough to do what God requires of you. Just do what is expected of you. The work of Jesus is very vast, it was started and continued by the apostles, and even today, the work is still being done and it does not finish. All we can do is our part. When doing our part, we have to do it with good intentions and faith and to do our part very well.
In the first reading, St. Paul encouraged Timothy to be aflame for the word of God. The gift of grace that he received at the laying on of hands to be done effectively without fear. For the gift he received was not a gift of fear. We are also being challenged that when we were baptized, the spirit given to us was power, love, and strength to make us proclaim the Lord. So, each of us is called to be aflame for God.
In the same way, St. Paul told Timothy, that everything we do in the spiritual life, comes from God, God grants us grace to be able to live as his children. Grace inspires us to do charitable things. St. Paul encouraged Timothy to have confidence in Jesus Christ. Something remarkable here is that having confidence in Jesus means that we cannot take credit for the good we do, rather the credit goes to God. Witnessing, by loving our neighbors and showing concern, care, and respect to them, we become vessels or instruments of God.
I have met people who have moved from one church to the other looking for the hand of Jesus. People move from one church pastor to another looking for healing. I have even seen people who were blazed with the word of God, who have gone down completely since they did not trust in the word of God that they were preaching. Some proclaim the Devil more than they proclaim Christ due to their perspective of life. They are suspicious of everything and see the devil in every situation. They fail to see the hand of God in every situation. Pray that God will open your eyes to see his hand more in everything rather than seeing the Devil. There are “preachers and pastors” who claim to be preaching the word of God but turn to bring division and confusion in families, suspecting and accusing one or the other as a source of confusion in that family. Where is your faith?
The Word of God reminds us of being given the gift of the Holy Spirit, who strengthens us, glorifies us, and prepares us to know love and serve God in the ordinary moments and events of our day. As a faithful Christian, try as much as you can to rely on the Spirit today as you carry out your daily activities. May these activities strengthen our faith in God, and may our faith, as small as the mustard seed, lead us to do greater things for the glory of God and the sanctification of His people. Amen!
Witnessing the Gospel takes a lot of confidence and action. The word of God reminds us of being given the gift of the Holy Spirit, who strengthens us, glorifies us, and prepares us to know love, and serve God in the ordinary moments and events of our day. Rely on the Spirit today as you do your daily activities. May these activities strengthen our faith in God, and may our faith, as small as the mustard seed, lead us to do greater things to the glory of God.
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