Developing faith

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge our desire to have authority it areas where we are called to seek the mystery of faith in God.

Developing faith

Habakkuk complains about the violence of the Chaldeans and is assured of the reliability of God’s rule.

* [1:2–4] The prophet complains about God’s apparent disregard for Judah’s internal evils in language that echoes the preaching of prophets like Amos, Isaiah, and Jeremiah.

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus develops the faith of His disciples.

* [17:14–20] Matthew has greatly shortened the Marcan story (Mk 9:14–29). Leaving aside several details of the boy’s illness, he concentrates on the need for faith, not so much on the part of the boy’s father (as does Mark, for Matthew omits Mk 9:22b–24) but on that of his own disciples whose inability to drive out the demon is ascribed to their little faith (Mt 17:20).

Tom Lenz reflects that Matthew tells the story of Jesus teaching and mentoring his disciples, much the same as parents do with their children.

Parents are constantly teaching and mentoring their children on all aspects of life so that someday they can learn to live outside of their parent’s home and can one day do the same with their own children. The disciples were taught and mentored by Jesus so that one day they could teach and mentor others. This teaching and mentoring in the church that started with Jesus still continues today through our ordained priests, sisters, deacons, and through us, too. Parents do much the same within our own families as they pass along customs and traditions from generation to generation. The family that Jesus had with his disciples and the family that we have with our children are much the same in that they are both rooted in teaching and mentoring, but also in faith in God, faith in one another, and love.

Don Schwager quotes “Faith as a grain of mustard seed”, by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD).

"The mountains here spoken of, in my opinion, are the hostile powers that have their being in a flood of great wickedness, such as are settled down, so to speak, in some souls of various people. But when someone has total faith, such that he no longer disbelieves in anything found in holy Scripture and has faith like that of Abraham, who so believed in God to such a degree that his faith was reckoned to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6), then he has all faith like a grain of mustard seed. Then such a man will say to this mountain - I mean in this case the deaf and dumb spirit in him who is said to be epileptic - 'Move from here to another place.' It will move. This means it will move from the suffering person to the abyss. The apostle, taking this as his starting point, said with apostolic authority, 'If I have all faith, so as to remove mountains' (1 Corinthians 13:2). For he who has all faith - which is like a grain of mustard seed - moves not just one mountain but also more just like it. And nothing will be impossible for the person who has so much faith. Let us examine also this statement: 'This kind is not cast out except through prayer and fasting' (Mark 9:29). If at any time it is necessary that we should be engaged in the healing of one suffering from such a disorder, we are not to adjure nor put questions nor speak to the impure spirit as if it heard. But [by] devoting ourselves to prayer and fasting, we may be successful as we pray for the sufferer, and by our own fasting we may thrust out the unclean spirit from him." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 13.7.19)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 17:14-20 develops a simple plan will help deepen our relationship with God.

You might call this Habakkuk’s four-step plan:
• Stand at your guard post. Find peace in the place you are supposed to be, wherever that is.
• Station yourself at the rampart. A rampart is a defensive wall around a city, which provides a broad vista. Don’t get caught up in low-level controversies; rather, fix your eyes on Jesus.
• Keep watch to see what God will say. Try to tune in to the Holy Spirit’s wavelength so that you can detect his promptings.
• Write down what you hear. Use a notebook or journal to keep track of what you think God is saying. That way, you can go back later and study it, test its truth, and hold on to whatever it is that God has said to you.

Friar Jude Winkler describes the questioning of the plan of God by Habakkuk. This prophet explores a similar mystery as in the Book of Job. Acting on our own authority may be rejecting the Way of Jesus.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, is inspired by Celtic theologian Pelagius (360-418) to exhort us to go out into the natural world and look with God’s eyes; listen with God’s ears; know your place within God’s good creation.

Look at the animals roaming the forest: God’s spirit dwells within them. Look at the birds flying across the sky: God’s spirit dwells within them. Look at the tiny insects crawling in the grass: God’s spirit dwells within them. Look at the fish in the river and sea: God’s spirit dwells within them. There is no creature on earth in whom God is absent. . . . When God pronounced that his creation was good, it was not only that his hand had fashioned every creature; it was that his breath had brought every creature to life. Look too at the great trees of the forest; look even at your crops. God’s spirit is present within all plants as well. The presence of God’s spirit in all living things is what makes them beautiful; and if we look with God’s eyes, nothing on the earth is ugly.

Examples of trust in Providence are seen in many people and in contemplation of the natural world that reflects the Creator to us.

Reflections


(n.d.). Habakkuk, chapter 1 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved August 11, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/habakkuk/1

(n.d.). 17:2. Retrieved August 11, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/matthew17.htm

(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved August 11, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html

(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 11, 2018, from http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/

(n.d.). Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr (Feast) - Mass Readings and .... Retrieved August 11, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/ 

(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archives - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 11, 2018, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/