LORD, INCREASE OUR FAITH

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 13^th Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “Lord, Increase Our Faith.”

In today’s gospel the disciples are terrified in the boat they were sailing along in with Jesus. A violent storm  shakes them up. They need the Lord as savior.  So they wake him up and  beg him to end the storm and save their lives.

Storms, horror stories, fires,  floods trigger all sorts of people to get on their knees and beg God for help.

IN NON-PANIC  MOMENTS

When things are going well, it might be the better time to work on increasing our faith. 

“Lord, increase my faith.”

It’s one of my favorite prayers. It’s in Mark 9:45. A father of a boy with epilepsy hears Jesus say you have to have faith. So he responds, “I do have faith. Help the little faith I have.” Another English translation puts it this way, “I believe. Help my unbelief.”

Needing faith is a regular call and a regular message in the 4 gospels.

In this homily I’m stressing that we pray for it. So that’s why the title of my homily is, “Lord, increase my faith.”

It’s the prayer of the apostles in Luke 17: 5.  Jesus had just said that we need to forgive our brother 7 times a day. To0ugh stuff. Then there is a tomorrow. So they realize to forgive is quite a trick. So they pray for the ability to have the faith to do just that.

“Lord, increase our faith.”

ST. IRENEUS

Today is the feast of St. Irenaeus - an early Christian saint - preacher, teacher and writer. His dates are from around 130 to 200 when he was killed because he was a  Christian.

TO INCREASE OUR FAITH, THREE PRACTICES

So to grow in faith, prayer is the place to start.

I like to push using rosary beads for short prayers besides the Hail Mary and the Our Father.

So on the 59 beads pray, “Lord, increase my faith.”

It takes 2 or 3 minutes.

That’s the first practice.

The second practice would be awareness exercise - contemplation exercise.

St. Irenaeus would begin with creation. He said, “The initial step - if we want to come to knowledge of God - is contemplation of nature.”

Open up our eyes and see all around - and let what’s all around us - get us thinking - wondering - growing - knowing that God is behind everything.

Jesus stressed that approach all the time: Learn a lesson from the wild flowers. Study the birds of the air.

This is what the Prophet Amos is doing in today’s first reading. Did you hear his list of interesting examples?

If two people are walking together, that tells us something about them. They are in agreement about something. 

When the lion roars, it's because he sees an enemy or supper. He would  not roar if nothing was present.

Birds are free - soaring the earth. Therefore, they have avoided traps.

So the first way to increase our faith is to increase our using our eyes, our ears, our sense of smell, what have you - as   well as our minds to grow in awareness of creation.

The third practice would be use our scriptures.

Irenaeus was also big on both the Old and the New Testament for learning.

I love the Eastern Rite command before the readings  at Mass: Wisdom be attentive.

So each morning say about what’s ahead “Wisdom be attentive.”

So too about the bible readings. Wisdom be attentive.

What is Amos, what is Isaiah saying to us today.  What is today’s gospel saying to us today: wisdom be attentive.

CONCLUSION

That’s my homily.

Practice those 3 steps for growth in faith.

Pray the short prayer, “Lord, increase my faith.”

Check out what’s right in front of us - and see the wisdom that surrounds us.

“Tolle et lege….”  Take and read the scriptures as Augustine did and see what happens - listen to the wisdom on its pages.

Hopefully these 3 exercises will help us when the storms of life hit us as we cross the waters of life. 

O O O O O O

Painting on top: Rembrandt, 

Christ  Crossing the Sea of Galilee