“Increase Our Faith”

In this Sunday's Gospel the apostles say to Jesus, "Increase our faith." It is amazing to think that this group of men, the twelve who were closest to Jesus and most directly taught by him and prepared for ministry, struggled with faith! How often do we think "If only I had been there!" or "If only the Lord would show himself to me in some real, undeniable way, that would be enough!" And yet this very thing happened to the apostles and they still struggled.

We live in the midst of a world filled with troubles, not too dissimilar from what is described in this week's first reading from the Prophet Habakkuk. He says, "How long, O LORD? I cry for help but you do not listen! I cry out to you, 'Violence!' but you do not intervene. Why do you let me see ruin; why must I look at misery?" These words could be spoken by us today just as much as then. And so the question arises: how can we keep faith? But God says to Habakkuk, and to us today: "the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; if it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late." 

If we are struggling through these difficult times in which we live, let us use the words of the apostles this week and say, "Lord, increase our faith!" May our hearts be open to God's grace in new and profound ways. And may our increase in faith assure us that the promises of God "will surely come" at the right time, that they "will not be late."

Want to prepare your heart and mind for Mass this weekend? Click here to find the readings this Sunday's Mass.

Written by: Fr. Craig Irwin, OSFS - Associate Pastor