Increase our faith! (Luke 17:9)

This was the disciples' urgent, heartfelt prayer. They too wavered. How often do we find in the Gospel that Jesus reproves them for their little faith! Peter himself, 'the rock' on which Jesus would build his Church, was admonished: "You of little faith" (Matt. 14: 31). Jesus had to pray for him that his faith would not fail.

This request for an increase in faith is really a prayer that each Christian might make, because faith can fluctuate in the life of each one of us. Even Thérèse of Lisieux, who throughout her life had a very profound, daughterly relationship with God, was assailed by "a trial against faith" during the last 18 months of her life. She said it was if a wall had been raised all the way to heaven, which blotted out the stars.

Increase our faith!

The fact is that although we know that God is Love, we often live as if we were alone on this earth, as if we did not have a Father who loves us and who watches over us, who knows all about us, who counts even the hairs of our head, who makes all things - the good we do and the trials we go through - work together for our good.

We should be able to repeat with John the Evangelist: "We have known and believe the love that God has for us". (1 John 4: 16). To believe, in fact, is to feel that we are looked upon and loved by God. It is knowing that each of our prayers, every word, every move, every event, whether sad, joyful, or indifferent, every illness, everything, everything, everything - from the things we consider important to the most insignificant actions, thoughts and feelings - everything is known to God.

And since God is love, complete trust in Him is the only logical response. Because of this confidence we can speak with Him often and tell Him about our concerns, our intentions, our plans. Each one of us can abandon ourselves to His love knowing that we will be understood, comforted, helped.

Increase our faith!

To this prayer of the disciples, Jesus replied: "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea', and it would obey you." (Luke 17: 6) "The size of a mustard seed." Whether it is great or small is not the most important aspect. Jesus wants our faith to be authentic, founded on him from whom we expect all things, without relying solely on our own abilities.

If we believe, and believe in God who loves us, nothing is impossible. We are then able to believe that the indifference and selfishness which we often find around us and in our own hearts, can be uprooted; that situations of disunity in the family can be resolved; that our world will go towards unity among generations, among social classes, among Christians divided for centuries; that a worldwide fraternity can grow among the faithful of different religions, among races and among peoples. We can also believe that humankind will one day live in peace. Yes, everything is possible if we allow God to act. For him, the almighty, nothing is impossible.

Increase our faith!

How can we live this Word of Life and grow in faith?

First of all, by praying, especially when difficulties and doubts crop up: faith is a gift from God. "Lord," we can ask, "help me to remain in your love. Grant that I may not live a single moment without feeling, without being aware, without knowing through faith, or even through experience, that you love me, that you love us."

And then, by loving. Through our efforts in loving, our faith will become firm and steadfast. We will not only believe in God's love, but we will feel it tangibly in our soul, and we will see 'miracles' take place around us.

A British girl experienced this: "When my mother told me that she had decided to leave my father and to move to another flat, I was shattered by the news and really desperate, but I didn't say anything to her. At one time I would have escaped by locking myself in my room and listening to music. Instead, now that I had decided to live the Gospel, I felt drawn to remain there in the midst of that suffering and to say my 'yes' to the cross. The time had come for me to go beyond the circumstances in themselves and believe in God's love.

"I tried to put aside my own opinions and to listen with love to my mother as she poured out all that she had to say about my father. I tried to find ways of being close to my father as well.

"A few months later, when my parents were already on their way to rebuilding their relationship, I was touched by something my mother said: 'Do you remember when I told you that I wanted to leave? Your reaction made me think that I was making the wrong decision.'

"I hadn't said anything, only a 'yes' to Jesus in silence, sure that he would take care of everything."