Gospel Of 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
Luke 17:5-10
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.'”
Gospel Reflection: Healing Will Not Be Over Until We Are In Heaven
As a counselor, I regularly hear people say that they do not have hope that their mental health or the difficult situation that they find themselves in will improve. It reminds me of when priests say that penitents often get frustrated about confessing the same sins week after week.
This weekend’s Gospel is a good reminder of the hope that is required but often difficult to maintain in discouraging times. The mustard seed is the faith and hope that things will get better. Like many things in life, growth and change often involve taking two steps forward and one step back.
One of my counseling teachers once told me, “If you measure in small enough increments, everyone is getting better.” These are good things to remember when we get discouraged. We often speak platitudes about how broken we are and we talk about the Fall in Genesis, but do we really realize what that means in our daily lives?
As far as mental health goes, I interpret that to mean that our journey of healing will not be over until we are in Heaven. This also means that no matter how many insights, peaceful moments, or “breakthroughs” that we have, we will never be able to live perfectly and without suffering in this life.
When I get discouraged, I reflect on Jesus sitting with me and gently saying, “It is OK. Let’s get up and try again together.” The real failure is to stop trying and give up, which is exactly what the Evil One wants. If you find yourself struggling to continue in the midst of a struggle, consider praying for the virtues of faith and hope to continue on in God’s love for you.
Act of Faith
O my God, I firmly believe that you are one God in three divine Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
I believe that your divine Son became man and died for our sins and that he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe these and all the truths which the Holy Catholic Church teaches because you have revealed them who are eternal truth and wisdom, who can neither deceive nor be deceived. In this faith, I intend to live and die. Amen.
Act of Hope
O Lord God, I hope by your grace for the pardon of all my sins and after life here to gain eternal happiness
because you have promised it who are infinitely powerful, faithful, kind, and merciful. In this hope, I intend to live and die.
Amen.
Act of Love
O Lord God, I love you above all things and I love my neighbor for your sake because you are the highest, infinite and perfect good, worthy of all my love. In this love I intend to live and die.
Amen.
Prayers excerpted from the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
This reflection was originally published HERE.
Photo by Guillaume de Germain on Unsplash
