Increase Our Faith

In our Gospel reading for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Luke 17: 5-10), the disciples come to Jesus with a very human request: “Increase our faith.” How often do we, too, find ourselves asking God to increase our own faith?

We come to Mass, we pray, we try to live good lives. But then we look at what is going on in the world today, wars that drag on, injustices that never seem to be solved, violence that shocks us, and we think: Where is my faith? Do I really believe that God is still present and active in our times?

Or maybe closer to home: we worry about our families, our work, our health. We pray for healing or for strength, and sometimes we wait a long time for an answer. And we feel that same longing in our hearts: “Lord, increase my faith.”

Have Faith

Jesus answers in a surprising way. He does not give them a detailed manual or extra instructions. Instead, he says: “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed…”

Now, a mustard seed is tiny, almost invisible in your hand. That is enough, Jesus says. Because faith is not about size, faith is about trust. It is about a relationship with God.

Think About It

A seed is small, but it is alive. Inside that tiny seed is growth, unseen potential, and life. That is how faith works. Even if it feels small, even if it feels weak, even if it is not yet visible, if it is trust in God, then he can do something great with it.

The prophet Habakkuk (Habakkuk 1: 2-3; 2: 2-4) speaks to us in the First Reading. He cries out to God: “How long, O Lord, I cry for help but you do not listen.” His words sound familiar to anyone who has waited in pain, prayed through tears, or longed for justice. God’s answer is gentle but firm: “The vision still has its time… if it delays, wait for it, it will surely come.”

That’s faith, not always seeing the answer right away, not always getting what we ask for immediately, but trusting that God is faithful. As Habakkuk says: “The just one, because of his faith, shall live.”

Paul echoes this in our Second Reading (2 Timothy 1: 6-8, 13-14) when he writes to Timothy: “Stir into flame the gift of God that you have.” It is a strong image. It suggests that the flame is already there. It may not always be burning brightly. Sometimes it’s just an unseen glow under the ashes of a fire. But it’s alive and with a little breath, it can be rekindled.

Faith Grows When We Tend To It

Trust in God is strengthened when we pray, when we turn to Scripture, when we receive the sacraments, when we support one another as a community. Faith grows when we put it into practice — when we choose to forgive, to be patient, to show kindness.

Then Jesus adds another layer to his teaching. He tells a short parable about a servant who comes in from the field. The master doesn’t invite him to sit down immediately but expects him to finish his work. It can sound harsh, but the point is this: faith is not about recognition or reward.

We live our faith not because we expect applause. The parent who rises in the night to comfort a child. The person who sits quietly with a grieving friend. Someone who gives their time and energy without being noticed — these are the humble acts that flow from faith. They may seem small, like mustard seeds, but they are signs of God’s Kingdom.

And maybe that is the real challenge of today’s Gospel: to stop asking ourselves, “Do I have enough faith?” and instead ask, “Am I living the faith that already dwells in me?”

Because none of us has perfect faith. None of us prays without distraction or loves without limits or serves without hesitation. But God does not ask for perfection, he asks us to trust him. He simply asks for relationship.

God asks that we bring the little we have: our time, our mustard seed, and place it in his hands.

Live The Gospel

So today, we are invited to take courage: to trust that the seed of faith is already planted in us, to nurture it through prayer, through community, through service.

With this in mind and heart, with a strengthened faith in God, we can help change the world for the better — if we only trust him and open our hearts to his presence in our lives.

Amen. Praised be Jesus Christ.