Faith and Ignatian Indifference

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, Memorial of Saint Dominic, Priest, challenge us to examine our complaints, physical and spiritual, and open our minds to resolution through faith in Divine Providence.

Faith and Action

The Reading from the Book of Habakkuk presents Habakkuk’s Second Complaint.

* [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.

* [1:4] The law is numb: because the Lord has been silent, the Law, whether in the form of the scroll found in the Temple in the time of Josiah (2 Kgs 22) or in the form of divine instruction given by priests and prophets, has proved ineffective and so appeared to be cold, unreceptive, and powerless. For the Law to be credible, the Lord must see to it that the wicked are punished and the just rewarded.

* [1:5–7] Habakkuk interprets the Babylonian defeat of Egypt at Carchemish (605 B.C.) as the answer to his complaint: the Lord will send the Chaldean empire against Judah as punishment for their sins.

* [1:11] The primary aim of military campaigns by ancient Near Eastern rulers was usually the gathering of spoils and the collection of tribute rather than the annexation of territory. However, in the eighth century B.C., the Assyrians began to administer many conquered territories as provinces.

* [1:12–2:1] Appointed them for judgment: this complaint is directed against the violent Babylonians, the very nation God chose to punish Judah.

* [1:12] Rock: an ancient title celebrating the Lord’s power and fidelity; cf. Dt 32:4; Is 26:4; 30:29; Ps 18:3, 32, 47; 95:1.

* [1:15] He: the Babylonian king (cf. vv. 6, 13), who easily conquers other nations and treats them as objects for his entertainment and enrichment.

* [1:16] He makes sacrifices to his net: the leader attributes victory to the military weapons he wields; he and his weapons have won victory, not any god. (Habakkuk, Chapter 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 9 proclaims the rescue of the helpless poor from their enemies.

* [Psalms 9–10] Ps 9 and Ps 10 in the Hebrew text have been transmitted as separate poems but they actually form a single acrostic poem and are so transmitted in the Greek and Latin tradition. Each verse of the two Psalms begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet (though several letters have no corresponding stanza). The Psalm states loosely connected themes: the rescue of the helpless poor from their enemies, God’s worldwide judgment and rule over the nations, the psalmist’s own concern for rescue (Ps 9:14–15). (Psalms, PSALM 9 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew presents the Healing of a Boy with a Demon.

* [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).

* [17:15] A lunatic: this description of the boy is peculiar to Matthew. The word occurs in the New Testament only here and in Mt 4:24 and means one affected or struck by the moon. The symptoms of the boy’s illness point to epilepsy, and attacks of this were thought to be caused by phases of the moon.

* [17:17] Faithless and perverse: so Matthew and Luke (Lk 9:41) against Mark’s faithless (Mk 9:19). The Greek word here translated perverse is the same as that in Dt 32:5 LXX, where Moses speaks to his people. There is a problem in knowing to whom the reproach is addressed. Since the Matthean Jesus normally chides his disciples for their little faith (as in Mt 17:20), it would appear that the charge of lack of faith could not be made against them and that the reproach is addressed to unbelievers among the Jews. However in Mt 17:20b (if you have faith the size of a mustard seed), which is certainly addressed to the disciples, they appear to have not even the smallest faith; if they had, they would have been able to cure the boy. In the light of Mt 17:20b the reproach of Mt 17:17 could have applied to the disciples. There seems to be an inconsistency between the charge of little faith in Mt 17:20a and that of not even a little in Mt 17:20b.

* [17:18] The demon came out of him: not until this verse does Matthew indicate that the boy’s illness is a case of demoniacal possession.

* [17:20] The entire verse is an addition of Matthew who (according to the better attested text) omits the reason given for the disciples’ inability in Mk 9:29. Little faith: see note on Mt 6:30. Faith the size of a mustard seed…and it will move: a combination of a Q saying (cf. Lk 17:6) with a Marcan saying (cf. Mk 11:23). (Matthew, CHAPTER 17 | USCCB, n.d.)

Margo Minnich comments that the world teaches us to value self-sufficiency, control, and accomplishment. However, Ignatian spirituality calls us to humility and the recognition that we are reliant on God.

This Gospel also reminds us of the importance of Ignatian indifference. St. Ignatius teaches that we should not cling to health over sickness, success over failure, or comfort over hardship if our ultimate desire is to serve and glorify God. Faith requires letting go of the illusion that we can control everything ourselves. It calls us to surrender our attachments and trust that God is present even in weakness, suffering, and uncertainty. Admitting powerlessness is not defeat; it is the beginning of deeper reliance on God’s grace.

These readings challenge us to ask ourselves: Where do we rely too heavily on our own strength instead of God’s? What mountains in our lives feel impossible to move and how can faith help us to face those challenges? Christ reminds us that faith is about trusting completely in the One for whom all things are possible. Through even the smallest seed of faith, God can transform our hearts and lead us through every challenge. (Minnich, n.d.)

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) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler shares that Habakkuk, who like Job, questions the motives and actions of God. Why pagans who do not worship God yet He allows them to do terrible things as in Job who asked God why innocent people suffer. Job, at the end of the book declares “I understand that I don’t understand” or Habakkuk concludes we just have to wait until the Lord acts. In Matthew an epileptic is presented to Jesus to be healed and Jesus drives the “demon” out. In Jesus' time illness was related to demoniac possession. Why the apostles were not able to heal the demon was because of little faith. We understand faith as an act of total trust, a mustard seed that can move mountains in care, trust and love. Friar Jude notes that we have stopped trusting in modern life and have become cynical at times. We have to again trust the Love of God.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 17:14-20 comments that we all have our own “mustard seed” of faith. We received it when we were baptized, and it has grown, thanks to our families and those who have taught us the faith.

So if you want your faith to grow, nourish it well, and ask the Spirit to help you put it into action. If you have an “impossible” coworker, treat them with kindness and trust that the Lord will soften their hearts. If a loved one is sick, let your faith keep you connected to the Lord and at peace. Even more, believe in the Lord’s power to heal as you pray for them.

If we keep acting in faith, we will see miracles, both big and small. We’ll see the Lord work in situations that seem impossible. The mustard seed in our hearts will begin to grow into a mighty tree, and we will bear marvelous fruit.

“Thank you, Lord, for the awesome gift of faith!” (Meditation on Matthew 17:14-20, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, reflects on when a friend suffered an unexpected loss, cancer survivor Kate Bowler offered her a paradoxical message of suffering and joy.

But I know about the joy that persists, even though it might seem like temporary insanity.  

I looked at my friend … and I could see how impossible joy felt to her. In fact, not long ago, I would not have believed in joy either. It’s strange to say it like that—but I believe in joy. We can’t mistake it for anything less than what it is: one of the most powerful ways we experience the deepest and most healing forms of gratitude, delight, and hope. It is a kind of transcendence; joy is a glimmer of love and forgiveness and wholeness that lifts us out of reality for a moment and gives us back to ourselves, anew….

In the many chambers of our beating hearts are reservoirs for joy.

“You will hear the music,” I said to my friend. “I swear you will hear the music.” (Rohr, n.d.)

We seek the guidance of the Spirit as we explore the practice of Ignatian Indifference that proposes we will find joy and love of God in all the circumstances of life.

References

Habakkuk, Chapter 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved August 8, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/habakkuk/1?12 

Matthew, CHAPTER 17 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved August 8, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/17?14 

Meditation on Matthew 17:14-20. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved August 8, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/08/07/1640975/ 

Minnich, M. (n.d.). Daily Reflection August 8, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved August 8, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-august-8-2026 

Psalms, PSALM 9 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 8, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/9? 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 8, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/job-and-the-mystery-of-suffering-weekly-summary/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Nothing Will Be Impossible to You. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 8, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Signs of the Way of Love

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today present our desire to understand what signs, if any, guide us to understand what God requires from His people.

Sign of Hope

The Reading from the Prophet Micah identifies three actions that the LORD requires of us.

* [6:1–5] The Lord, through the prophet, initiates a legal case against the people. The initial calls (vv. 1–2) signal the beginning of a trial, and the proclamation that the Lord intends to enter into a legal dispute with Israel. One would expect accusations to follow such an introduction, but instead the Lord speaks in self-defense, reciting mighty acts done in behalf of Israel (vv. 3–5).

* [6:5] The Lord calls for the people to remember the saving events of the past, from the encounters with Balak and Balaam (Nm 22:23) during the wandering in the wilderness to the entrance into the promised land (“from Shittim to Gilgal,” Jos 3–5).

* [6:6–8] These verses continue the previous unit (6:1–5), the dialogue between the Lord and the people in the pattern of a trial. The Lord has initiated proceedings against them, and they ask how to re-establish the broken relationship with God (vv. 6–7), and are given an answer (v. 8). The form of the passage borrows from a priestly liturgical pattern. When worshipers came to the temple, they inquired of the priest concerning the appropriate offering or sacrifice, and the priest answered them (see Ps 15; 24; Is 1:10–17; Am 5:21–24).

* [6:7] The questions reach their climax with the possibility of child sacrifice, a practice known in antiquity (cf. 2 Kgs 16:3; 21:6).

* [6:8] To do justice refers to human behavior in relationship to others. To love goodness refers to the kind of love and concern which is at the heart of the covenant between the Lord and Israel; it is persistently faithful. To walk humbly with your God means to listen carefully to the revealed will of God. (Micah, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 50 proclaims that what God really wants is the sacrifice of praise accompanied by genuine obedience.

* [Psalm 50] A covenant lawsuit stating that the sacrifice God really wants is the sacrifice of praise accompanied by genuine obedience (cf. Mi 6:1–8). It begins with a theophany and the summoning of the court (Ps 50:1–6). Then in direct address God explains what is required of the faithful (Ps 50:7–15), rebukes the hypocritical worshiper (Ps 50:16–21), and concludes with a threat and a promise (Ps 50:22–23; cf. Is 1:19–20). (Psalms, PSALM 50 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus responds to the Demand for a Sign from the scribes and Pharisees.

* [12:38–42] This section is mainly from Q (see Lk 11:29–32). Mk 8:11–12, which Matthew has followed in Mt 16:1–4, has a similar demand for a sign. The scribes and Pharisees refuse to accept the exorcisms of Jesus as authentication of his claims and demand a sign that will end all possibility of doubt. Jesus’ response is that no such sign will be given. Because his opponents are evil and see him as an agent of Satan, nothing will convince them.

* [12:38] Teacher: see note on Mt 8:19. In Mt 16:1 the request is for a sign “from heaven” (Mk 8:11). (Matthew, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB, n.d.)

Desiree Nownes observes that we seek signs in our lives to tell us whether we are doing the right thing or whether we should choose one thing over another. We ask for guidance and advice when troubling events occur. The unknown is as exciting as it is scary.

With the state of the world, I admit I am troubled and often ask for guidance in a world that seems to have forgotten that love and truth are not opposites but are in communion with one another. If love is the order from God, why do judgment and hate get a front seat to all the preachers on Sundays? God calls us to love, to forgive, to trust in faith, not by sight but by hope. I am renewed in my faith when I reflect on these teachings and readings from Christ’s path. Listen for God’s voice to speak to you and renew a heart full of caring and forgiveness. I faithfully pray for the hearts of men and women to turn to love and peace. Through these moments of reflection, may we all pray for a more Christ-like way of moving forward together.

Psalm 95 – If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts. (Nownes, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “The stumbling block of the cross,” from an anonymous early Christian teacher

"What is the sign of Jonah? The stumbling block of the cross. So it is not the disputers of knowledge who will be saved but those who believe true teaching. For the cross of Christ is indeed a stumbling block to those who dispute knowledge but salvation to those who believe. Paul testifies to this: 'But we, for our part, preach the crucified Christ - to the Jews indeed a stumbling block and to the Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God' (1 Corinthians 1:23-24). Why do the Jews seek signs and the Greeks seek wisdom? God pointed to the sign of the stumbling block of the cross to both the Jews and the Greeks. Thus those who wish to find Christ not through faith but through wisdom will perish on the stumbling block of foolishness. Those who wish to know the Son of God not through faith but through a demonstration of signs will remain trapped in their disbelief, falling on the stumbling block of his death. It is no small wonder that the Jews, considering the death of Christ, thought he was merely a man, when even Christians - as they purport to be but really are not - because of his death are reluctant to declare the only begotten, the crucified, as incomparable majesty. (excerpt from INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 30) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the texts for today. Micah speaks a plea that God makes in Hebrew or a “RIB” It is usually a law suit, God calls them to be witness to the trial coming but they turned to sin. How can they regain oneness with the Lord ? Micah simply advises three requirements: do right; love goodness; and walk humbly with God. Friar Jude suggests we start with simply “Be a good kind person”. In the Gospel of Matthew, the Pharisees ask Jesus for a sign as proof of His being the Messiah. Jesus cites the sign of Jonah as His response. Friar Jude offers two interpretations of this sign. The 3 days of Jonah in the belly of the whale are a sign of Jesus' three days in the tomb and the preaching and conversion of Nineveh. Pagans are converting in Matthew’s Gospel, written for a Jewish audience. This suggests the pagans are more ready to receive Christ than the Jews? Friar Jude notes that the pagan Queen of the South was seeking greater wisdom than the wisdom of Solomon. Everything that was said in the Hebrew Testament was referring to Jesus as Wisdom Incarnate.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Micah 6:1-4, 6-8 comments that from the beginning, God knew every situation we would face. He knew what our family would be like. He knew the struggles we would encounter growing up. Nothing in our life comes as a shock to him. No matter what our situation may be, his overflowing grace is always available to us.

So remember that no matter how complex the world becomes, God’s promises remain as simple as the day you were born. He has called you by name, and everything you need is found in him. Nothing brings him more joy than when you turn to him for guidance in every situation. He wants to walk with you every step. All he asks is that you walk humbly with him!

“Holy Spirit, teach me how to walk humbly with my Father.” (Meditation on Micah 6:1-4, 6-8, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, shares his deep respect and admiration for the Missionaries of Charity, the community of sisters founded by Mother Teresa (1910–1987) in Calcutta, India. He spent three days immersed in the life, spirit, and ministries of Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity community at the motherhouse in Calcutta—a year after her death.

Through that experience, I finally met a “conservative” yet fully contemporary form of religious life that I could trust. The sisters were not rigid; rather, they were simply devoted women. They did not need security, answers, and order, as we see in most traditionalist movements in the West. In fact, they were willing to live without security, with very few answers to their questions of mind and heart, and amid almost total disorder. All in union—hour by hour—with God. They lived that amazing and rare combination of utter groundedness and constant risk-taking that always characterizes the true gospel.

The sisters don’t waste time fixing, controlling, or even needing to understand what is wrong with other people. Instead, they put all of their time and energy into letting God change them. From that transformed place, they serve and carry the pain of the world, which they are convinced is the pain of God. This is the synthesis on a communal level that I am always seeking. I have encountered it in many individuals, but hardly ever in public and social form. (Rohr, n.d.)

We contemplate the signs on our journey that point to the action that God offers to us to increase our Wisdom of the Divine Path to live our Baptismal anointing as priest, prophet, and leader. 

References

Matthew, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 20, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/12? 

Meditation on Micah 6:1-4, 6-8. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved July 20, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/07/20/1626981/ 

Micah, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 20, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/micah/6? 

Nownes, D. (2026, July 20). Daily Reflection July 20, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved July 20, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-july-20-2026 

Psalms, PSALM 50 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 20, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/50? 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Saint Teresa of Calcutta: A Mother to Many. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 20, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/saint-teresa-of-calcutta-a-mother-to-many/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). An Adulterous Generation Seeks for a Sign. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 20, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/