Twenty-Seventh Sunday Gospel C

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."  

· Have you ever felt like asking Jesus this same thing?

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. 

· We increase our faith by exercising our faith. The more we exercise it, the more we are able to step out in a greater degree.  It is not that we do not have faith but that our faith at times may be weak because we are not exercising it.  The more we do so, the bolder we will be to exercise our faith in greater matters.

· Are we afraid to step out in faith because we are concerned more about ourselves than being obedient to God? Are we concern that if nothing happens it would look bad for us?

· The focus of our faith is the Lord and his power and not on our human weaknesses.

· The first thing we need is discernment to make sure that God is asking us to step out and act. Then we need courage to be obedient to God regardless of the consequences.

"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 not rather 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.'"

· God judges us on our obedience to what he has asked us to do not on the results that occurred or did not occur. As Mother Theresa said: “God wants fidelity more than success.”

· What will you do as a result of your reflection on this teaching?