Homily: October 2, 2022, Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time.

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 “How long, O Lord? I cry for help but you do not listen! I cry out to you.”

We see in the first reading, prophet Habakuk’s cry of desperation to God. It is also a complaint against God for ignoring Habakuk’s need.

Have you cried like that to God before?

Have you ever felt that God ignored you?

I am sure there are moments in life when we find ourselves helpless and desperate. When I learned that my parents had terminal illness, when the treatments did not work, when it seemed my prayers were not heard, I cried in the same way.

It was many years later when I look back on those difficult times, that I understood better how God was guiding me and walking with me in my desperate moments. He was using the struggles and trials I experienced to strengthen me. I didn’t fully understand at first. I failed to see Him working, I failed to trust Him, I failed to see beyond my emotions and fears.

It is with hindsight, looking at where I was then and where I am now, I see how I have grown, I realize my cries for help were not ignored. God had a different plan from mine.

Was my faith too little back then? Did my faith increase over time?

When I lack faith, when I lack trust, I would pray the same as the disciples in today’s Gospel, “Lord, Increase our faith.” That’s usually what we think we need in times of hardship: a bigger, stronger faith.

But Jesus tells them, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed…”

Do you know how tiny a mustard seed is? So what Jesus is saying is that we don’t need big faith. We just need faith. It is either you have it, or you don’t.

What is faith? In Hebrew 11.1 it says, “To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see.”

We cannot see God. Are you certain of Him?

We hope for eternal life. Are you sure you will receive it?

If your answer is ‘yes’ and ‘yes’, you have faith. If you can’t be sure, then you don’t have faith.

But all of us have received the gift of faith from our baptism. So what is the issue?

Have you ever received a present but left it aside and never opened it? Never used it? Having received does not mean having activated the benefits.

Well, our faith is a gift, a precious gift, have you opened it, understood it and used it according to the instructions and intentions of the giver?

Believe in God, the giver. Understand His intentions. Follow His instructions.

Activate this gift with the help of the Holy Spirit. As St. Paul advised in his letter to Timothy, “I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands.”

So let not the gift of faith hide in the cold of our doubts but stir it into flames by allowing God to work in our life, trusting Him totally that He can and He will. Simply surrendering to His will and telling Him, “Lord, you take care of it.”

This is faith, the size of a mustard seed.

A simple faith and humble trust on our part are enough for Him to do wonders for us. Will you let Him?

Amen.


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Homily, Wednesday,January 5, 2022, Memorial of Saint John Neumann, Bishop

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Christmas Homily 2021,

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