By Francis Gayang csc –
Readings: Deut 6: 4-13; Mt 17:14 – 20
As a child who grew up in a Christian family and now in a seminary, I have every opportunity to know and connect with God every day of my life through community or personal prayer.
More specifically, to study about his mighty works in the salvific history is an enlightening one during these years. I believe that a lay person may not have access to such opportunities. Therefore, the demands are extra on me, and if my faith does not exceed that of others then I must belong to that ‘faithless generation’.
Jesus was disappointed with the faith of his disciples in today’s passage. They were exposed to the entire secret of his earthly ministry. Jesus even reinterprets and teaches the parables to them privately in a simple way.
Today, their faith is being tested by the man who asked them to heal his son from epilepsy and it proves them wrong. They could not heal the boy. Jesus challenges his disciples calling them a ‘faithless generation’.
The same challenge is being posted to us too who call ourselves CHRISTIANS. Like the disciples, we are expected to grow in our relationship with him to replace doubt with faith, and fear with courage and wisdom to witness Christ wherever we go. Let the song “Faith in Him can move the mountain” not end on our lips but be proved by our actions.