This Sunday, October 5, is the Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary time. The theme for the readings is the power of faith. In this Sunday’s gospel, Jesus uses a mustard seed to highlight the power of faith in this world. Let’s take a look.
Gospel Text – Luke 17:5-10
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.
“Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’? Would he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'”
First Reading – Habakkuk 1:2-3, Habakkuk 2:2-4
The first reading is still pertinent to today’s world. The prophet Habakkuk is crying out to God and asking why God is silent during all the violence and injustice in the world. Habakkuk is unique in his bold dialogue with God: He doesn’t just deliver messages; he questions, wrestles, and laments. God responds to him by saying, “The vision will come at the appointed time.” In other words, God reminds Habakkuk that things happen on God’s time, not ours. Even amid delay and confusion, faith is the path forward.
Second Reading – 2 Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14
Paul writes this letter to Timothy, a young Christian leader, pastor, and close companion of the Apostle Paul, from a prison in Rome. He urges Timothy to rekindle the gift of God within him and to be bold and unashamed in suffering for the gospel. Paul emphasizes guarding the “good deposit” of truth with the help of the Holy Spirit—faithfulness in adversity.
The Gospel – Faith the Size of A Mustard Seed
The disciples ask Jesus for more faith. Jesus replies:
“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.”
Jesus teaches His disciples not to expect praise when they fulfill their duty; they express faith through humble obedience.
“So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'”
The common threads in the readings are:
- Faith in the Face of Delay and Suffering—Each passage confronts the challenge of believing when circumstances seem bleak or unclear.
- Perseverance and Patience – Faith isn’t flashy—it’s steady, obedient, and often unnoticed.
- Live faithfully by stewarding God’s gifts with humility. Don’t seek applause; fulfill the trust God places in you.
- Faith transforms not by size but by its source—revealing its power and sufficiency.
These readings challenge us to live as faithful stewards—trusting God’s timing, guarding what He’s given us, and serving without seeking recognition. They remind us that faith is not passive belief but active endurance, rooted in humility and sustained by grace.
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Peace
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