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.’”

Opening Prayer: Loving Father, help me to trust in your providence. Increase my faith little by little so that my heart grows in love and trust in you. 

Encountering Christ:

1. Good Soil Leads to Increased Faith: Mustard seeds are tiny but they grow into very large plants: “It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants” (Matthew 13:32). Likewise, the seed of faith may begin small, but we can cooperate with Jesus to increase our faith by ensuring that it has “good soil” in which to thrive. Some of the elements that make up the good soil of our spiritual lives are prayer, the sacraments, and Scripture reading. We can grow in faith by constantly caring for our spiritual lives. We can also pray and ask Jesus, just as the apostles did, to “increase my faith.” 

2. Trust versus Doubt: When we ask God to work in our lives, we demonstrate our faith by trusting that he will answer our prayers. “But he should ask in faith, not doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed about by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord, since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways” (James 1:6). Our God is good, and we are called to trust in him, even when we are praying for what seems to be impossible: “All good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17).

3. Unprofitable Servants: As Christian disciples, we have an obligation to work to build up the Kingdom of God. It is our duty, not something we do to earn praise or thanks from others. Of course, when we have volunteered, it is nice to be thanked, but this should not be the motivation for our service to the Lord. Our intention should be to fulfill our duty to love God above all things and love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:33). In this way, we will be “unprofitable servants” as Jesus exhorted us to be in this passage. We obtain the strength and willpower to do our duty when our goal is to love God with our whole heart. We do not serve for our own gain, but for God’s glory.

Conversing with Christ: Jesus, I believe that all things are possible with you (Matthew 19:26). Without you, I know I can do nothing (John 15:5). I am sorry for failing to trust in your loving plan for me. Give me the grace I need to stay close to you in prayer, the sacraments, and your word so that my faith increases. 

Resolution: Lord, today, by your grace, I will pray the Litany of Trust, written by the Sisters of Life. 

For Further Reflection: Watch this video from Ascension Presents: What Does It Actually Mean to "Trust God"?