THE IMPORTANCE OF FAITH IN GOD (HOMILY FOR THE 27TH SUNDAY IN THE ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C October 2022

Homily for the 27th Sunday in the Ordinary Time, Year C. 

Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4; 2 Timothy 1:6-8,13-14; Luke 17:5-10.

The theme that links today's three readings is faith.

Faith is the central theme that binds together all the readings in today's liturgy

In the First Reading, the Prophet Habakkuk complained to the Lord about the triumph of evil over good. He laments the maltreatment of the people of Israel by invaders who flaunt their scandalous behaviour. "O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you 'Violence!' and you will not save" (Hab.1:2). To these questions, God, through the Prophet Habakkuk, urges the people of Israel not to give up because of difficulties or situations that seem to shake their faith in God. The Lord answers the Prophet with a call to patience and hope. The day will come when the evil ones will be punished: "Behold, he whose soul is not upright in him shall fail, but the righteous shall live by faith" (Hab.2:4).

In the Second Reading, St. Paul exhorts Timothy to remain firm in his vocation, to preach the truth without being intimidated by human respect: "I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self-control" (2 Tim.1:6-7). Timothy must never be ashamed to preach the message of the Lord. He should gladly accept whatever hardships the preaching of Christ might bring on him. If he preached what he had learned from Paul he would preach the true faith, the sound doctrine, the revealed doctrine which is in perfect accord with sound, rational judgment (cf.Phil.4:8-9).

Timothy, with the help of the Holy Spirit, was to preserve the Christian revelation in its entirety and free from error. This is the duty of all Christians, but especially by Teachers appointed by Christ in His Church.

In today's Gospel the apostles said to Jesus, "Increase our faith!" (Luke 17:5). In response, Jesus said, "If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamore tree, 'Be rooted up, and be planted in the sea, and it would obey you" (Luke 17:6). The meaning of Jesus' response is that the efficacy of faith does not depend on its quantity, its size, its volume, but rather on its quality, its worth. Consequently, the apostles did not need to have the volume of their faith increased. What they needed was for their faith to be as solid, compact, unbroken as a grain of mustard seed that  can remove mountains of difficulties, mountains of perplexities, mountains of sin. It means that faith can accomplish stupendous achievements.

Faith working by prayer has removed mountains of difficulties in the spread of the Gospel. How do you explain the power behind Jesus making use of Twelve uneducated men who brought Christianity to the whole world? Even that which looks completely impossible becomes possible, if it is approached with faith.

We have only to think of the number of scientific marvels, of the number of surgical operations, of the feats of endurance which today have been achieved and which not so very long ago would have been regarded as utterly impossible. If we approach a thing saying, 'It can't be done,' it will not; if we approach it saying, 'It must be done,' the chances are that it will. We must always remember that we approach no task alone, but that with us there is a God and all His power.

After speaking to his apostles and us of the power of faith, Jesus speaks again to his apostles and us of humble service with a short parable. The parable needs little explanation. He tells us that we can never put God in our debt and can never have any claim on Him. When we have done our best, we have only done our duty; and those who have done their duty have done only what, in any event, they could be compelled to do. As Isaac Watts wrote in that wonderful hymn, 'When I survey the wondrous cross': "Were the whole realm of Nature mine,

That were an offering far too small;

Love so amazing, so divine, 

Demands my soul, my life, my all".

It may be possible to satisfy the claims of law; but every lover knows that nothing can ever satisfy the claims of love.

As mentioned at the beginning of this reflection, faith is the central theme of today's readings. Many understand faith as a transactional commodity. In this sense they hope that to possess faith is to become insulated from all life's challenges and trials. This is not true. Faith is not a magic wand that makes all things perfect. It is a gift that opens and ushers us into a loving and trusting relationship with God.

By faith we believe without doubting all that God has revealed and obey all that He has commanded. Faith does not prevent us from experiencing the darkness of life's challenges but it is that light and compass that helps us navigate through that darkness holding on to God all the way.

Those without faith may crumble in tough circumstances but the righteous shall live by his faith (Hab.2:4).Finally, the mystery of suffering, the mystery of why things go wrong for the upright and the wicked prosper will ever remain a puzzle. We shall all comprehend it clearly in God's presence in the next world. But one thing is certain: the good must surely overcome evil. The seeming victories of evil are but momentary and short lived.

Like the apostles we must seek God's help for an increase in faith. Our faith will increase if we study  God's word in the Holy Scripture, frequent the sacraments especially the Holy Eucharist and Penance and immerse ourselves in prayer.

May God grant us an increase in faith to remove mountains of difficulties, perplexities and sin through Christ our Lord. Amen.