Fr. Paul Campbell’s article for October 7
Hab 1:2-3; 2:2-4 2 Tim 1: 6-8, 13-14 Luke 17: 5-10
The Sunday readings for the past couple of months have had Jesus trying to teach a group of wannabe disciples how to become real disciples. Each week the challenges have grown. This Sunday the disciples are having such a difficult time learning personal discipleship that they ask Jesus to increase their faith. He responds by telling them “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea and it would obey you”. Rather than give his disciples an easy affirmation Jesus continues to challenge them. I remember being told that faith is a gift and I suppose that is true. However, it seems to me the only way you know you have faith is by using it. It has been said that genuine faith can bring about quite unexpected things. If you agree with this then I ask you to reflect upon those times when you acted with faith and the unexpected blessings occurred. You may want to write them down in a journal or just keep a vision of the events. For Habakkuk reminds his people, “Write down the vision clearly, it will not disappoint”. If you cannot name those moments or remember the vision when you faith brought about unexpected blessings I would like to offer a few suggestions which hopefully will improve your vision. The first part of the reading from Habakkuk quotes the follower crying out in complaint to God for God’s lack on intervention in the violence and misery of their life. Life doesn’t seem to make sense. In order to see the vision the Lord requires trust in God and not in our own ability. Essentially we need to follow our state in life and be faithful to that calling.
The second correction we need to make in order to see the vision is mentioned in the gospel. Have you ever used the phrase “God owes me”. Perhaps not, but I wonder if you have said something like “I’ve lived a pretty good life, why is God doing this to me?” Jesus tells us, his disciples, that the good we do should be done freely and as a sacred duty. The reward we receive should be the satisfaction of doing the right thing. If we expect to hold a special claim on God because of our prayer or good works we will have trouble seeing the vision of unexpected blessings because we have our own vision of a reward. The third correction of our vision comes from Timothy. He reminds people “to stir into flame the gift of God you have”. Just as a camp fire will go out unless it is stirred our faith needs to be used. We are told “God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control”. The disciples couldn’t lift up the mulberry tree because they were not willing to risk and place their faith in God. On a daily basis each of us has chances to risk interaction with others who may be in pain or just needing a few moments of our time. Yet we, like the disciples, are afraid. What will I say? What will people think? What will happen if it doesn’t turn out the way I want? My guess is there were days when the disciples finally gave up their own vision and tried Jesus’ and trees probably went flying. Then again there probably were days when the trees didn’t move. The point is Jesus was saying to them the same thing he says to us. Unless you try and risk some; you will never know. Stir that flame and you’ll have visions that will always sustain you no matter what.