Articles

Saturday August 8

Saturday of 18th Week of Ordinary Time

A GRAIN OF FAITH

Introduction

The prophet Habakkuk assures the people of God. He says: Even if you do not understand God’s ways, remain faithful to God, for he is a God on whom you can rely.
If we look back to the Bible and to history, even recent history about persons we have known or who are perhaps still alive, even discreet, humble people, but people of faith who take the word of Jesus seriously, we see that with them God can do very great things, can do the impossible. But we must really believe. Even a grain of faith can work miracles. Let us ask for this grain of faith.

Opening Prayer

Faithful God,
we thank you for our faith,
which we have received from you
as a gift to be developed with your help
Make our faith grow day after day.
Let it give meaning to our life
and express itself in love and justice.
Let it bring us joy and understanding
and make us very close to you and to people.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Reading 1 HAB 1:12—2:4

Are you not from eternity, O LORD,
my holy God, immortal?
O LORD, you have marked him for judgment,
O Rock, you have readied him punishment!
Too pure are your eyes to look upon evil,
and the sight of misery you cannot endure.
Why, then, do you gaze on the faithless in silence
while the wicked man devours
one more just than himself?
You have made man like the fish of the sea,
like creeping things without a ruler.
He brings them all up with his hook,
he hauls them away with his net,
He gathers them in his seine;
and so he rejoices and exults.
Therefore he sacrifices to his net,
and burns incense to his seine;
for thanks to them his portion is generous,
and his repast sumptuous.
Shall he, then, keep on brandishing his sword
to slay peoples without mercy?

I will stand at my guard post,
and station myself upon the rampart,
And keep watch to see what he will say to me,
and what answer he will give to my complaint.

Then the LORD answered me and said:
Write down the vision
Clearly upon the tablets,
so that one can read it readily.
For the vision still has its time,
presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint;
If it delays, wait for it,
it will surely come, it will not be late.
The rash man has no integrity;
but the just man, because of his faith, shall live.

Responsorial Psalm 9:8-9, 10-11, 12-13

R. (11b) You forsake not those who seek you, O Lord.
The LORD sits enthroned forever;
he has set up his throne for judgment.
He judges the world with justice;
he governs the peoples with equity.
R. You forsake not those who seek you, O Lord.
The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of distress.
They trust in you who cherish your name,
for you forsake not those who seek you, O LORD.
R. You forsake not those who seek you, O Lord.
Sing praise to the LORD enthroned in Zion;
proclaim among the nations his deeds;
For the avenger of blood has remembered;
he has not forgotten the cry of the poor.
R. You forsake not those who seek you, O Lord.

Alleluia 2 TM 1:10

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 17:14-20

A man came up to Jesus, knelt down before him, and said,
"Lord, have pity on my son, who is a lunatic and suffers severely;
often he falls into fire, and often into water.
I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him."
Jesus said in reply,
"O faithless and perverse generation, how long will I be with you?
How long will I endure you?
Bring the boy here to me."
Jesus rebuked him and the demon came out of him,
and from that hour the boy was cured.
Then the disciples approached Jesus in private and said,
"Why could we not drive it out?"
He said to them, "Because of your little faith.
Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you will say to this mountain,
'Move from here to there,' and it will move.
Nothing will be impossible for you."

Commentary

There is a tendency to quote frequently a few well-known verses of minor prophets like Habakkuk. Such is the case with the final verse in today’s reading from the prophet. The conduct of human beings is so often reprehensible; people exploit others for their own gain. People worship their own industry and eliminate others without mercy. In response, the Lord advises the prophet to consign the prophetic vision to writing. “The righteous live by their faith.”
The vision contains a timeless truth. We err if we think that evil will last forever or never be brought to justice. Wherever there is deceit and the absence of integrity, clear boundaries will be set up. Evildoing will meet its recompense. On the other hand, where there is a just person, life is assured. It is faith that determines the just person’s conduct. It is the good that ultimately triumphs.
Jesus in the Gospel today assures us that faith can move mountains.
If the disciples believe strongly enough, anything is possible. Goodness sometimes emerges in unexpected forms. Just when we believe that affluent countries think too little of the poor and diseased people of the world, important industrialists turn over funds from their earnings—at times in the billions of dollars—to alleviate the world’s pain. We are distressed at evil, but we must never dismiss the good.

Points to Ponder

Evil’s presence in the world
The ultimate triumph of good.
A justice that leads to life

Intercessions

– That the Church may bring the light of faith where there is darkness and indifference, hope where there is fatalism and despair, love where there is hatred and strife, we pray:
– That leaders, prophets, witnesses of faith and all others who have the task of keeping alive our hope in a better world, may be guided by the Holy Spirit, we pray:
– That those who are discouraged by trials, by their doubts and fears, may keep believing and hoping in a God who brings everything to a good end, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

God our Father,
we firmly believe that Jesus your Son
will change into himself
these simple gifts of bread and wine,
so that he might be with us
with all his strength and love.
Help us to believe with all that is in us
that he is also with us in everyday life
as the Lord of our lives and our friend,
who gives meaning to all we do.
Let him make our faith a way of life
that gives you all honor and praise,
now and for ever.

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God.
accept our thanks for giving us Jesus
to revive and strengthen our faith.
Reassure us that he stays with us
in the cares and the heat of the day,
and that, with him walking by our side,
everything becomes possible.
Keep this faith and hope alive in us
and help us to bear witness to it
through him who is with us always,
Jesus Christ our Lord.

Blessing

“If you had faith the size of a tiny seed.” It is perhaps good that at times our faith is tried and tested through difficulties and questions, so as not to become complacent. Let us place our trust in the love and concern of God, with the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.