Homily: Listen to His Voice

Year C / Ordinary Time / Week 27 / Sunday
Readings: Habakkuk 1.2-3;2.2-4 / Psalm 94. 1-2, 6-7, 8-9 (R/v 8) / 2 Timothy 1.6-8, 13-14 / Luke 17.5-10

“Increase our faith” (Luke 17:5)

My dear friends, the apostles come to Jesus with this request in today’s Gospel reading. It could just as easily be ours as we gather here.

Luke tells us that Jesus is speaking to His closest followers here. He is giving them a refresher course in what it really means to follow Him. Jesus is not only teaching them; He is also revealing His own heart—His singleness of purpose in doing the Father’s will. We hear it in his teachings.  Like these:

Love God with all your heart.

Love your neighbour as yourself.

Put God before even family and possessions.

Forgive your enemies.

Share with those in need.

Seek out the lost.

Lead no one into sin.

Trust always in God’s goodness.

These are not easy teachings. They stretch our hearts and ask us to love like God. So it is no surprise the apostles cry out, “Lord, increase our faith!” Perhaps that is our cry too, and often, when we’re struggling to live as good Christians.

But notice how Jesus answers the apostles. He does not scold them. Instead, He points to what they already have: “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed….” In other words, He’s really saying:  “Use the faith you already have. Put it into practice, however small.”

Here’s the key: Jesus is not speaking about some magical quantity of faith that removes all fears and doubts. No—He is teaching that true faith is not about eliminating our questions or human weakness. The apostles will still have doubts and faith together. We will too. But what matters in faith is trust - trusting Jesus enough to take the next step. This kind of relationship with Jesus gives us the courage to act, even when our hearts are still trembling. Even more, it enables us to keep believing in Jesus.

And Jesus tells them something more. If we put even the smallest faith into action, God will do the impossible through us. But if we wait until we feel strong or perfect or certain, we will never act. Faith, then, is not about clarity or comfort. It is trusting enough to believe in Jesus.

To drive home this point, Jesus offers us the image of the servant. He describes how a servant dutifully accomplishes his master’s instructions. The servant does not demand thanks or rewards. He simply does what is his duty to do. Why this image? Because Jesus Himself lives as the faithful servant—doing the Father’s will, even unto the Cross. To follow Him is to live in that same spirit of humble service. Are we?

This question demands we honestly examine what Christian faith is, even more, how we should live it.  Christian faith is not just an idea in the head or words on the lips. It’s not even that brand name ‘Christian’ some loudly declare as their identity, even worse, as their passport to heaven, but whose lives are anything but Christ-like. Many see them and their 'Christ-less' lives and conclude that there’s no point turning to God.  

Jesus calls us to live as he lived: to serve and not to be served. St Teresa of Calcutta put it beautifully: “Faith in action is love, and love in action is service.” Every time we forgive, share, encourage, welcome, or restore dignity, we are putting faith to work. And when we do, God deepens and increases it.

Today we hear St Paul remind Timothy to fan into a flame the gift of faith God gave him. That is our task too. So, dear friends, use the faith God has already given you, and let the Spirit set it ablaze. For what? To “go forth and set the world on fire" exhorts St Ignatius of Loyola to every Christian.

I believe we all want to. To be like that upright man who lives by his faithfulness as the Prophet Habakkuk declares in the first reading. But we struggle. We get distracted. We put self before God and neighbour. We fall and we sin. Sometimes we even stay in sin too long. 

But God does not give up on us. He has an annoying habit of calling us out of our selfishness to serve others. Every day He puts before us opportunities to live out our faith. Just consider: which of the following did you do this past week, and how often?

Cared for someone in need.

Forgave one who hurt you or accepted another’s forgiveness.

Encouraged the discouraged.

Stood up for the discriminated or underdog.

Acknowledged the sins done.

Recognised the dignity of the forgotten or marginalised.

All these ways and more are God's efforts to make us use and practise our faith, and so increase our faith. This is how He works with us to shape our hearts to look more like Jesus’ heart—big enough to love, to forgive, to serve..

So today, as we come to Communion, let us not say: “My faith is too small, I am unworthy.” Instead, let us pray with confidence: “Lord, increase my faith.”

The truth is, if we are here, no matter our state of grace, we already have enough faith for God to work with. Enough for Him to call us, to feed us with Christ, and to send us out to live what we receive. The love of God is what we receive. And this love transforms us to become what communion is - the Body of Christ for the salvation of the world. 

So let hear again the psalmist’s reminder: “O that today you would listen to His voice! Harden not your hearts.” So, let us not.

With eyes of faith, let us then give thanks for every act of love, every moment of forgiveness, every step of service we make for family and stranger, friend and foe, blessed and broken— for these are God’s ways of answering our prayer to increase our faith. May we trust Him enough to take those steps. And when we do, we will delight all we serve but, even more, we will delight Him, the giver of our faith.
Shall we?

Preached at the Church of the Sacred Heart
Photo by Matea Gregg on Unsplash