27th Sunday in Ordinary Time
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time – What sort of faith do we have?
What sort of faith do we have? It is worth pondering this for a few moments. Is ours a strong, forthright, proud, outspoken faith or is it a quiet, nervy, introspective kind of faith? Is one right and the other wrong and if so, which is which?
Is this the same question as asking each of us whether we are Catholic in our faith? How much faith do we need to be classed as strong in faith and is there a particular type of faith that makes this so?
What strength of faith is it that enables Habakkuk to rage at his God in our first reading today. His cry is not a scream of despair but a cry that is rooted in his faith in God. He believes that God will do something and his faith is proved right.
Similarly so with Paul in our second reading when he addresses Timothy: he tells him that God is not looking for a timid, shy and withdrawn minister but rather someone who is bold and filled with a spirit of power and love. He encourages Timothy to step up and to speak out: to be not only a guardian of the faith he has received but also to be a minister of boldness, to be a bold guardian. Paul’s boldness of spirit is rooted in his faith in God and is in no way drowned or muted by his sufferings.
And so to our gospel where we have the disciples asking our Lord for an increase in their faith as though more or a greater strength of faith was the answer to all of their problems. And Jesus tells them that it is not about how much they have but rather the quality of that seed of faith; the richness of it, be it ever so tiny, would be enough to move mountains, or at least a mulberry tree.
It is the quality of our faith that makes us stand out. It is what we do with that seed of faith that makes us something bigger or better, for God.
And that is what we need to look at today: we need to look at what our faith means to us and how we put that faith into practice; how we show the world what we believe and how this belief, this faith is enough to makes changes in our world.
A big bold faith is what we are told to have; one that we show to the world in what we do, in what we say and in how we behave. It is not enough to sit back and to say that we pray for this or we pray for that. It is not enough to denounce the governments of the world at the church door for their treatment of refugees and then not attend the Holy Hour for Refugees; to ignore the opportunity to do something practical about it.
It is not enough to pray for the homeless or the poor or the downtrodden and then refuse to back this with practical support for the Foodbanks.
Jesus points out to us that a faith that is rooted in God is capable of a boldness that is truly awesome. Sometimes boldness shocks people and upsets them: they would prefer to hang back and suffer in silence. Boldness with God always looks a risky business – not least because God always has the last word!
But what if we believed in a God who really encouraged boldness: a God who did not get nervous at people shouting, screaming and coaxing toward justice? That is the God of Habakkuk and the apostle Paul. That is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. That is our God.
We believe in a God who gives us a spirit not of timidity but of boldness, a God for whom we can do wonders while doing only our duty. God is our Father and it is never too late to stand by him, stand for him and to be bold in our faith.
Ask not what your parish can do for you, for me, but rather what is it that I, that we, can do for the parish. Your parish needs you to speak up: to speak out; to volunteer.
Here I am Lord. I come to do Your will.
Bidding Prayers
That we have the courage and the confidence to live actively and positively the love of our Lord in our everyday lives. Lord in Your mercy
That we seek the opportunities to show God’s love for us in our actions and behaviour to others, especially in our Church Community. Lord in your mercy
That World and Church leaders take the chances to improve the lives and situations of their peoples. Lord in your mercy
That there is an end to war and conflict across all nations. Lord in your mercy
That we support with positive actions and prayers all those who are sick or suffering from any form of illness. Lord in your mercy
That any who have died this past week and their surviving relations may find peace with the Lord and comfort through our prayers. Lord in your mercy
That Our Lady, the Mother of our Saviour and our Church might join her prayers with ours as we now say together, Hail Mary, full of grace. . .