The
apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." The Lord replied, "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.Luke 17:5-10
Is my Faith Growing or Shrinking
by Rev. Jack Peterson, Y.A.
Reprinted with permission of "The Arlington Catholic
Herald"
Home Page
To Sunday Gospel Reflections Index
Written to explain that
Christ came to save everyone.
The
apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." The Lord replied, "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.
"Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, 'Come here immediately and take your place at table'? Would he rather not say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished'? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'"
It is from the eternal city of Rome that I write this reflection. Just the other day, I ambled my way through the winding neighborhood of Trastevere to a most inspiring church, the Basilica of St. Cecilia. The present building was constructed around 822 over the first place of worship dedicated to St. Cecilia’s honor probably in the third century. It might have been the actual location of her home. The present basilica contains the remains of St. Cecilia, martyred during the persecutions of Marcus Aurelius around the year 222, along with the remains of her husband, St. Valerian. I mention these few details about the basilica because they reflect a long history of a strong devotion to St. Cecilia in Rome that reaches back to the third century. Devotion to this young Roman martyr spread quickly because of her deep faith in the Lord, which manifested itself in her zeal for spreading the faith (she helped convert her husband and his brother) and her tremendous courage in the face of the Roman soldier who was tasked with beheading her. Below the main altar rests a striking white marble statue of St. Cecilia said to resemble what she looked like when they exhumed her body years after her burial and found her body incorrupt.
In our Gospel for today, Jesus talks about the all-important gift of faith. His words are another glaring instance of the reality that Jesus expects our faith in Him to be deep and strong. “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.”
I am not convinced that Jesus intends by this statement that we use our gift of faith in Him to be transplanting trees from one place to another. I am convinced, rather, that He wants our faith in Him to transform our lives, enable us to turn away from serious sin, change our whole way of thinking and acting, and empower us to spread the faith by the example of our lives and our humble, loving service of God and neighbor. Jesus wants our faith to be strong, courageous and contagious like that of St. Cecilia.
St. Paul, the great Apostle to the Gentiles, makes two relevant points about faith in his second letter to St. Timothy. First, he says to Timothy, “I remind you, to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands.” While this is likely a direct reference to the grace of the episcopacy that Paul conferred on him, it unquestionably applies to the grace of faith as well. The priceless gift of faith that Jesus gives to us through the power of the Holy Spirit demands a response on our part. We must see our faith as a gift that needs to be tended like a bonfire. If we fail to tend the fire and regularly add new logs, it will go out.
What am I doing these days to stir into flame the gift of God? Am I receiving the Eucharist regularly? Am I praying with the Scriptures on a daily basis? Am I examining my conscience and getting to confession consistently? Am I spending time in fellowship with other dedicated Catholic Christians? Am I growing in my willingness to sacrifice my wants and needs to serve God and neighbor?
Secondly, St. Paul challenges us in the same passage, “Guard this rich trust with the help of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us.” Our faith in Jesus needs to be nourished, and it needs to be “guarded.”
How do we guard our faith? We study it and learn more about it by reading good books and articles and by listening to podcasts by Catholic men and women of deep faith. We avoid occasions of sin that seriously damage or gradually chip away at our relationship with the Lord. We bring into our home Christian art that lifts up our minds and invites us to ponder the marvels of the Lord. We consult with priests, consecrated persons or other men and women of sound faith when we develop doubts that begin to eat away at our faith. There is much that we can do to guard our faith like a treasure.
In conclusion, I shall finish with one final method of nourishing and guarding our faith in Jesus — the regular act of gratefully singing God’s praises. “Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord; let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation. Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us joyfully sing psalms to him” (Psalm 95: 1-2).
Top
Home Page
To Sunday Gospel Reflections Index