“Lord, increase our faith.” This is a prayer that prayed authentically will change our lives. So many times in the gospels Jesus tells people it is your faith that healed you, never have I seen so much faith, your faith has saved you. I like Brene Brown’s definition of faith; “Faith is a place of mystery, where we find the courage to believe in what we cannot see and the strength to let go of our fear of uncertainty.” In today’s gospel Jesus tells us that there will always be causes of sin: betrayal, abuse, anger, woundedness, unforgiveness, family history, temptation, selfishness, and pride. He gives us two sure ways to dispel these inevitable conditions: forgiveness and faith.
Faith is the courage to live in mystery and sometimes God’s ways, like perpetual forgiveness and mercy are super difficult to understand or practice. He definitely instructs us today to “rebuke” sin if and when it enters our lives. He uses the image of sin being a millstone wrapped around our necks and it causes us to plunge to the depths of darkness. We become slaves to sin especially when we don’t encourage one another in love to turn away from it. Our addictions, bitterness, anger, negativity, bad habits, judgment, self-loathing, woundedness, etc. become these heavy burdens that keep us down, trip us up, plunge us into darkness, and take our eyes off Jesus. While it is important for us to rebuke sin, it is as important to do so in love and through the eyes of mercy, with the hope for repentance. Public shaming, or gossip, or spreading someone’s sin is not what Jesus intends for us to do when he says rebuke. This only adds weight to the millstone and makes repentance all the more difficult. We should always will the good of the other when we are admonishing sin. And the whole purpose to admonish sin is to give the “sinner” the encouragement to repent and turn away from that sin. “If he repents, forgive him. If he wrongs you seven times in one day and returns to you seven times saying, ‘I am sorry,’ you should forgive him.” I know this sounds almost impossible to do and that is why an increase in faith is absolutely necessary.
Forgiveness is a place of mystery and faith gives us the courage to trust that Jesus is showing us the way to eternal freedom. This uncertainty would be agonizing if we did not have the faith to let go of the fear of the unknown. “Perfect love drives out all fear.” 1 John 4:18 It just hit me that faith, hope, and love are the driving forces of today’s gospel. Faith leads to hope, and love flows from hope, but hope resides in the middle of both. Hope binds the mystery of faith to the testimony of love and together a trinity of grace circles the soul, singing you into wellness, cheering you to thrive, and catching you when you fall. Jesus wants us to be well, to thrive, and to be caught in the arms of mercy. Lord, increase our faith, hope, and love. It is well with my soul.
Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop
Lectionary: 491
Reading 1 WIS 1:1-7
Love justice, you who judge the earth;
think of the Lord in goodness,
and seek him in integrity of heart;
Because he is found by those who test him not,
and he manifests himself to those who do not disbelieve him.
For perverse counsels separate a man from God,
and his power, put to the proof, rebukes the foolhardy;
Because into a soul that plots evil, wisdom enters not,
nor dwells she in a body under debt of sin.
For the holy Spirit of discipline flees deceit
and withdraws from senseless counsels;
and when injustice occurs it is rebuked.
For wisdom is a kindly spirit,
yet she acquits not the blasphemer of his guilty lips;
Because God is the witness of his inmost self
and the sure observer of his heart
and the listener to his tongue.
For the Spirit of the Lord fills the world,
is all-embracing, and knows what man says.
think of the Lord in goodness,
and seek him in integrity of heart;
Because he is found by those who test him not,
and he manifests himself to those who do not disbelieve him.
For perverse counsels separate a man from God,
and his power, put to the proof, rebukes the foolhardy;
Because into a soul that plots evil, wisdom enters not,
nor dwells she in a body under debt of sin.
For the holy Spirit of discipline flees deceit
and withdraws from senseless counsels;
and when injustice occurs it is rebuked.
For wisdom is a kindly spirit,
yet she acquits not the blasphemer of his guilty lips;
Because God is the witness of his inmost self
and the sure observer of his heart
and the listener to his tongue.
For the Spirit of the Lord fills the world,
is all-embracing, and knows what man says.
Responsorial Psalm PS 139:1B-3, 4-6, 7-8, 9-10
R. (24b) Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
O LORD, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know the whole of it.
Behind me and before, you hem me in
and rest your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
too lofty for me to attain.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Where can I go from your spirit?
From your presence where can I flee?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I sink to the nether world, you are present there.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
If I take the wings of the dawn,
if I settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
Even there your hand shall guide me,
and your right hand hold me fast.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
O LORD, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know the whole of it.
Behind me and before, you hem me in
and rest your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
too lofty for me to attain.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Where can I go from your spirit?
From your presence where can I flee?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I sink to the nether world, you are present there.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
If I take the wings of the dawn,
if I settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
Even there your hand shall guide me,
and your right hand hold me fast.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Alleluia PHIL 2:15D, 16A
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Shine like lights in the world,
as you hold on to the word of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Shine like lights in the world,
as you hold on to the word of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel LK 17:1-6
Jesus said to his disciples,
"Things that cause sin will inevitably occur,
but woe to the one through whom they occur.
It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck
and he be thrown into the sea
than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.
Be on your guard!
If your brother sins, rebuke him;
and if he repents, forgive him.
And if he wrongs you seven times in one day
and returns to you seven times saying, 'I am sorry,'
you should forgive him."
And the Apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."
The Lord replied, "If you have 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."
"Things that cause sin will inevitably occur,
but woe to the one through whom they occur.
It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck
and he be thrown into the sea
than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.
Be on your guard!
If your brother sins, rebuke him;
and if he repents, forgive him.
And if he wrongs you seven times in one day
and returns to you seven times saying, 'I am sorry,'
you should forgive him."
And the Apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."
The Lord replied, "If you have 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."
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