Hab 1:2-3; 2:2-4; 2 Tim 1:6-8,
13-14; Lk 17:5-10
An elderly woman lived in one
half of a duplex apartment. She was extremely poor, but a good woman. She
prayed a great deal. In the other half of the duplex lived the owner, a man of
no faith, no prayer, no religion. He often made fun of the old lady’s trust in
God. One day this woman was praying, quite loudly, telling the Lord that she
had no food in the house. The godless one heard her and decided: “I’m going to
play a trick on the old gal.” He took a loaf of bread, laid it at her front
door, rang the bell, and then hurriedly back to his apartment, to hear through
the wall her cry of delight: “Thank you, Lord, I just knew You wouldn’t fail
me.” With a devilish grin the man came back to her front door and told her:
“You silly old woman. You think God answered your prayer. Well, I’m the one who
brought that loaf of bread.” Undaunted, the old woman exclaimed: “Praise the
Lord! He always helps me in my needs, even if He has to use the devil to answer
my prayers.” (The
story is by Gerald Fuller, OMI)
The
readings for this Sunday teach us lessons about faith and trust in God.
In the
first reading, the prophet Habakkuk complains to God: “How long, O Lord? I cry
for help but you do not listen!” The prophet is asking whether or not God cares
for his people. There is war and violence, misery and death all around their
place. The powerful Babylonians are now about to demolish the people of Israel.
How can God allow things like these to happen?
Habakkuk
is trying to question the loving presence of God, perhaps like many of us when
we are confronted with great problems and so much pain. Remarkably, God appears
not to be displeased with Habakkuk since he answers him in gentle and reassuring
words. It sounds as if he is telling the prophet: “Be patient because I have a
plan. I will intervene when it’s time. What I ask of you now is faith, and if
you have it you will live.”
What
kind of faith does God ask of Habakkuk? The prophet believes in God’s
existence; in fact, he is already imploring for divine intervention. Yet, God
wants Habakkuk to develop a kind of faith that is trustful and steadfast. In
the face of trials and difficulties, God would like Habakkuk to keep believing
that God will not abandon his people and that he will save them in his own
time.
In the
gospel, the apostles ask Jesus: “Increase our faith.” The apostles themselves
realize their need for a more solid kind of believing in order to persevere in
following the Lord. Real faith is necessary considering the fact that it is not
easy to understand the radical teachings Jesus (e.g., leaving home and
families, daily carrying of the cross, forgiving one another and loving one’s
enemies). It is even more difficult to follow the Lord’s way of life (e.g.
living simply, serving the poor, teaching the ignorant, touching lepers,
exorcising demons and challenging authorities).
The
Lord says in reply: “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would
say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea.’ And it would
obey you.” Jesus compares faith with a tiny mustard seed, whose power does not
depend on its size but on its great potential hidden within itself. Faith, even
when it is little, has the capacity to do unbelievable things in the life of
individuals and communities.
The use
of the image of a small mustard seed also suggests that the quality of the
faith is more important than its quantity. We might think that the more we know
theology, the more prayers we recite, or the more religious organizations we
join, the stronger our faith becomes. Such is not necessarily true.
In the
gospel of John, the Lord says: “Do you not believe
that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you
I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.
Believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe
because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in
me will do the works that I do . . .” (Jn 14:10-12). Somehow, these words will
help us understand the kind of faith that we need to develop in our lives.
Faith is our unqualified acceptance of Jesus as the Son of God and Savior of
humankind. Our faith is genuine if we believe in the person of Jesus, his
salvific words and actions, and if we trust in his absolute power over darkness
and sin. The believer would manifest meaningfully this faith by participating
in the saving works of Jesus.
In the
Mass, let us also ask God to increase our faith. And as we try to face with
courage our own problems in life, let us not forget that our difficulties can
never equal the sacrifice of Jesus which he offered for our sake.
A young married man thought he
knew the meaning of faithfulness and love, until his attractive and
affectionate wife was seriously injured in an automobile accident. Instead of
coming home after work to a well-prepared dinner and the responsive love of a
vibrant woman, he found that he had to be housekeeper and nurse during the long
weeks of her convalescence. He slowly went from generous service to impatience,
almost exasperation. He resented the heavy burden that had been placed upon
him, as he forgot that he had married for better or for worse, in sickness as
well as in health.
During one of his darkest
moments, his father pointed out that his wife, weak and frustrated on a bed of
pain, had not uttered a single word of complaint. His father added these simple
words: “Your wife is a very strong woman. If your roles were reversed, don’t
you believe that she would not hesitate to do anything for you?” Later that
night, the husband stood over his sleeping wife with tears in his eyes and
prayed for forgiveness. He resolved that he would be faithful to her, no matter
what. (The
story is from The Word Made Flesh by
Charles E. Miller)
