27^th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

 

Readings: Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4
2 Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14
Luke 17:5-10

 

 

"Increase our faith.”

 

 

Today's gospel invites us to meditate on faith. The episode begins with the apostles' petition: "Increase our faith.” With Jesus' response, we are taught about the importance of faith and at least three things to which faith is so related: first, faith is related to power; second, faith is related to fidelity; third, faith is related to humility.

 

1. We know how faith healing has become so popular. Although this has been a practice even before the time of Christ, faith healing has continually gained popularity and acceptance even in the world of modern medicine. Of course, there is some reluctance to it when simple common sense would tell us that such kind of faith healing is nothing else but money making. But the truth about real faith healing consists not only in the fact that much of our illnesses are psychosomatic, but more so in the fact that many things come and go just the way we strongly think, want and believe them to. This, then, gives account to the potent force of our faith. No wonder, in countless occasions did Jesus tell those who were cured that it was their faith that made the difference.

 

"I/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.”  Faith is power. It is that power which does the impossible. It is quite difficult to imagine how a tree could be uprooted by simply saying it with a strong and unwavering faith. And much difficult would it be to have it planted in the sea! But this is precisely how Jesus tells us what faith is and what faith can do. It can move mountains (cf Mt 17:20). Of course, there seems not a record in history that someone ever uprooted a tree and had it planted in the sea or somebody else moved even a hill by faith alone. Not even Jesus. So, no one may force us to believe that these things can really happen. But no one can forbid us either. This may, therefore, mean literally or figuratively or both. But in any case, the point of the gospel is clear Faith is power and it can do what we ordinarily think is impossible.

 

Such being the case, faith is man's greatest weapon against evil and his safest vehicle in his journey to eternal life. This faith is founded on the word of God which also is power. The power of faith is the power of the word. If the power of faith in God's healing grace brought cure to countless physical ailments, the same power of faith provides peace and assurance to ailing and unworthy souls. This was in fact the faith of the humble centurion which Jesus himself so admired. That is why we love to repeat its beautiful formula just before every communion: "Lord, I am not worthy to receive you (under my roof), but only say your word and (your servant) I shall be healed.” Such faith can move not only mountains but the mercy and love of a great and powerful God!

   2. Faith is fidelity. At first glance, there seems no connection at all between the first statement of Jesus and his words that immediately follow. While Jesus begins by telling us what faith can do, he proceeds by telling us about the role of a servant to his master. But a closer look makes us discover another aspect of faith that Jesus wants to teach. Faith is intimately related to fidelity. In fact, these are two words with only one origin, giving us two aspects of practically one reality. That is why we call the faithful fidel and the unfaithful infidel.

 

Here, we find some good reasons why faith is related to fidelity. Fidelity is one of the concrete manifestations of faith. A person who has faith in somebody will always show, or at least intend, to be faithful to that somebody. In fact, this is one of the secrets of a successful married life. I remember one wife and mother who would later reveal in her marriage enrichment seminar testimony how love has blossomed in time because of faith and fidelity. What moved her to marry her husband was not really love but faith. “I   simply believed that he was the right person for me and for my dreamed family. So, although did not really love him at first, I took him with trust, faith and faithfulness,” she recalled. That simple yet strong belief made her faithful to her husband, that not a single moment did she ever think of transgressing their marriage vows. And within long years of being faithful to the faith she had, they were able to build a happy family with six successful children. "And, you know, before I noticed it, that faith and fidelity in my heart turned to real love,” she concluded. That servant who has faith in his master will always be faithful to his duties in and out of season. And he faithfully does his duties out of love. This is the kind of faith which Jesus also wants every believer to have. Only those who have strong faith do their responsibilities faithfully even in the absence of their master. And they do them with love too. These are the ones whom the Lord will gladly find vigilant at the final hour.

 

3. Faith grows in humility. True, faith is power. But paradoxically, faith becomes powerful only in him who is humble. True, too, faith is fidelity. But one becomes truly faithful when he is humble. The reason why faith never grows in Pharisees and the supposedly experts of the law is nothing else but their self-righteousness. By thinking and even believing that they are righteous and "powerful" - i.e., exceeding in faith and observance of the Law - they have in fact become terribly weak before the Lord. This has been the case of that Pharisee who thought he gained a thousand advantages against the poor tax collector (cf Lk 18:9-14). By enumerating his "good works," the Pharisee thought that his faith was that exceptional. Sadly, he ended up a poor victim of his own pride. But the tax collector, on the other hand, went home in total peace and serenity not because he was that holy but because of his humility. His humble admission of guilt made his faith so powerful as to win the favors of heaven.

 

The right attitude of the servants which Jesus wants to teach in today's gospel gives us a parallel example. Growing in faith by being faithful is nothing to boast. After all, one is simply doing what is expected of him. "When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘we are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’” But it is precisely here where the wisdom of the gospel lies. But not boasting but humbly accepting our limitations, we advance in faith and faithfulness. True, God does not really expect us to do beyond our capacities. But equally true too is the fact that every "extra good" does not slip away without any merit. As the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (cf Ps 111:10; Pr 9:10), in the same way, a humble acceptance is the start of developing a faith which has the size of a mustard seed.