SATURDAY, EIGHTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Memorial of St Dominic
Hab 1:12–2:4 Ps 9: 8-13 Mt 17: 14-20
FROM POWERLESS TO POWERFUL
The gospel passage highlights that even a tiny genuine faith like a mustard seed can overcome massive obstacles through God’s power. When the disciples failed to heal a boy possessed by a demon, Jesus rebukes their ‘little faith’ and lack of prayer, calling them to rely on him in faith! Faith like the Mustard seed: It is not the size of faith, but the object of faith (Jesus) that matters. Even small faith, if true and active, can achieve impossible tasks. Dependence vs self-sufficiency: The disciples’ failure stemmed from relying on their own abilities rather than on God. Jesus calls for a ‘Purer’ faith that trusts God’s will, rather than forcing our own.
Prayer and Perseverance: The incident highlights that some challenges require deep prayerful dependence on God. To grow in faith, we are encouraged to surrender our fears to God and rely on His power. Believers can move from feeling powerless to become spiritually strong by trusting in Jesus Christ.
Most of us would say that we have faith and that we believe in God. The problem usually is that we fail to apply faith to our daily circumstances. When problems arise (poor health, death of a loved one, loss of job) we begin to nurture fear. Then we begin to doubt and question if God really loves us, if He truly dwells in us, as he promised, allowing us to share His divine life. In times of trial, we tend to rely more on the seen than the unseen, which is the opposite of faith. Consequently, we are often overwhelmed by our problems; we show our lack of faith. Prayer helps us to grow in faith by turning to Jesus, by focusing on His promises and not on our own feelings. St. John of the Cross teaches us that true faith grows in darkness when we feel powerless. The disciples failed because they relied on themselves. Even a mustard seed of pure trust, rooted in surrender, becomes powerful. Lord, increase my faith! Remove my doubts and self-reliance, teach me to trust You completely especially when I feel weak and helpless.
Response: You will not forsake those who seek you, O Lord.
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