Lord, Increase our Faith

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time: October 02, 2022

Readings: Habakkuk 1:2–3; 2:2–4; Psalm 95:1–2, 6–9; 2 Timothy 1:6–8, 13–14; Luke 17:5–10

(Photo courtesy: Jean-Marc Arakelian)
To listen to my audio-video reflections via YouTube, please click here: https://youtu.be/MekSReLNoyg

Our life is full of questions and curiosities. Often we think that the world is controlled by God's enemies! The strife, misery and discord we face in our own lives can sometimes cause us to wonder, as the prophets of the Old Testament do, why God doesn’t seem to hear or intervene when we cry for help. These days, we have been reading from the book of Job at our Eucharist. Job had too many questions to God when he suffered disaster after disaster, suffering after suffering. When he got exhausted with his queries, God began to answer. Finally, Job accepted God's ways and doings in his life. The liturgical readings for this 27th Sunday in Ordinary time challenge us on how large is our faith. Moreover, they invite us to be part of the bigger picture of God. We can’t let our hearts be hardened by the trials we undergo.

1. Jesus challenges our faith

In the gospel of today (Luke 17:5–10) the disciples plead Jesus to increase their faith. And in response, Jesus asks them to have such faith that can move mountains. Faith is a dynamic process and it can grow but also it requires God’s help. In the Bible, we see Jesus’ references to this aspect of faith: the faith of a paralytic, the faith of a Centurion, the faith of a woman who had a hemorrhage, “Your faith has saved you”, great faith of a leper, Jesus calm’s the sea and asks his disciples where is your faith?  There are so many other instances where Jesus speaks about faith. Faith in God brings salvation. The book of Hebrews (11:1) says, "Now faith is the assurance of the things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."

Our Christian religion is based on a foundation of faith that is, faith in Jesus Christ. In fact, it is a faith that is invisible, a faith that stems from our heart, a faith that blooms out of prayer. In other words, a faith that Jesus Christ is, our Lord, God and Saviour. Therefore, we believe in the scriptures, believe in Jesus who is found in the scriptures and who is part of history. We believe in Jesus who came down to us in spite of He being God but took the form of a human, was born of virgin Mary, who preached, who taught, who healed and cleansed; who suffered under his own people because he spoke truth, because he showed them what is right and wrong. He was killed on a Cross but dying on the cross he was not prevented from rising alive. Therefore he rose again and we believe that he will come again to us in glory. 

2. Jesus increases our faith

St Paul writing to the Galatians 4:4-6  speaks very boldly: “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption. As proof that you are children, God sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’” This is what we believe from our scriptures, from the writings of disciples of Jesus who touched him, listened to him, and ate with him. This is what we profess from the creed that we recite every Sunday during the Eucharist. Therefore the request of disciples “Lord increase our faith” is very relevant here that through his grace and graciousness we may believe in him, and have deep faith and trust in him. 

The deepest desire and inner urge from our being is that we may grow in confidence and stronger trust in him that our God is near to us and in spite of our inability to see him may we be able to see him through our inner eyes and feel deep within us that He takes care of us. Therefore St. Paul in his letter to Timothy says “follow the sound doctrine, which you have heard from me, concerning faith and love in Christ Jesus. Keep this precious deposit with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives within us” (2 Timothy 1:13–14). Paul calls this faith a precious deposit or precious treasure. He tells also about “gift of the Spirit” In Greek, Charis means gift or grace  It is much easier to keep that faith in our normal life when temptations and evil thoughts do not disturb us or persecutions and physical or mental health betray us or tragedy does not overtake our lives. But when our normal life is turned upside down we begin to question this faith which we have nurtured for many years and decades. 

3. Jesus facilitates our desire for God through faith

Guarding our precious treasure that is faith depends on our relationship with God. This relationship we can build up first and foremost out of prayer. We can also build up as Jesus tells us in Matthew 25:35-40  “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.' .. Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” It is a Christian love that is Agape where we are able to share in his divine love. We can not buy or sell God’s love. But we can participate in God’s love with that faith, hope, and charity. But one thing is sure, the more you give you’ll have more joy in doing so. St Paul says to the Ephesian elders (Acts 20:35)  “In every way, I have shown you that by hard work of that sort we must help the weak, and keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

Maybe we should fold our hands and stretch back, sit and see how God has been merciful to me. I’m still carrying on my life as a Christian where I’m healthy and peaceful, I have a family, friends, colleagues, relatives and so on and so forth. We have to be positive about our faith and our trust in God. God has given us gift of faith in Christ Jesus which is neither a spirit of timidity, nor a spirit of anxiousness about the future. It is, rather, the “Spirit of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7). Armed with this Spirit, we are “never to be ashamed of witnessing to the Lord” (2 Timothy 1:8), even if it means going against the tide of social expectations and we run the risk of losing material and social support and security. And, even if we are not suffering ourselves, we will not hesitate to express our solidarity with those who do so for the sake of the Gospel, even if it will entail a personal loss for ourselves. We cannot be ashamed of being linked with fellow Christians, or indeed any brothers and sisters, who are being intimidated by authorities of any kind for witnessing to love, justice, human rights, and authentic freedom.

Questions for reflections:

1. By following Jesus, the apostles expected him to provide for their needs; their trust is enough for them to ask for the world. How do you respond to hearing this request? Does this form part of your prayer?
2. Jesus has expectations and in our turn, we are aware of our responsibilities. Would you expect praise for fulfilling what is expected of you?
3. Faith does not grow automatically, in fact, we have to work towards it just as the disciples of Jesus ask him to increase their faith. What is the perseverance strategy that we use in order to increase our faith?
4. On this Sabbath day, take time to consider what you need to nurture your faith. Ask the Lord to be your teacher. Feel his blessing upon you.

Prayer: 

Lord, give us that sensus Christi that we may feel with your feelings, with the sentiments of your heart. Teach us to be compassionate, teach us your way so that it becomes our way today thus we come closer to you, Amen. (A prayer attributed to the Servant of God, Pedro Arrupe.)

- Olvin Veigas, SJ

September 30, 2022