THE WORD
FIRST READING: Hab 1,2-3; 2,2-4
How long, O LORD, must I cry for help
and you do not listen?
Or cry out to you, “Violence!”
and you do not intervene?
Why do you let me see iniquity?
why do you simply gaze at evil?
Destruction and violence are before me;
there is strife and discord.
Then the LORD answered me and said:
Write down the vision;
Make it plain upon tablets,
so that the one who reads it may run.
For the vision is a witness for the appointed time,
a testimony to the end; it will not disappoint.
If it delays, wait for it,
it will surely come, it will not be late.
See, the rash have no integrity;
but the just one who is righteous because of faith shall live.
SECOND READING: 2 Tim 1,6-8.13-14
Beloved:
I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self control.
So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God.
Take as your norm the sound words that you heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard this rich trust with the help of the holy Spirit that dwells within us.
GOSPEL: Lk 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 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.’”
IN OTHER WORDS
Can a flying butterfly influence the path of a typhoon? According to the chaos theory pioneered by mathematician Edward Lorenz, it is possible and he named it the “butter y effect”. He observed weather conditions, did some calculations and discovered that small changes in the initial conditions led to a different outcome. This theory has become popular that science- fiction movies have been made based on its thesis.
The logic of this mathematical model is, however, not strange to our everyday thinking and common experience: we believe that small things have an impact on big things. For example, one misses the train and a chain reaction occurs in which one is late to the next appointment. Or one forgets to take his medicine and it is enough to worsen his sickness and send him to the hospital.
An idiomatic expression says, “the devil is in the details.” Whatever is to be done, should be done thoroughly, otherwise problems arise. The power of the small things cannot be underestimated.
Jesus said that faith with the size of a mustard seed can move trees and mountains (cf. Lk 17:6,
Mt 17:20). He is telling us, that even a small amount of faith can work big wonders. How is this possible? Obviously, Jesus speaks guratively. It is not a question of how much faith we have but
rather how we are living the faith we already have. The Christian faith has been “planted” into our consciousness since our baptism. If we cultivate this seed of faith by faithfully putting into practice God’s commandments, then this spiritual seed will grow into a big tree and bear good fruits: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal 5:22-23).
The sacraments of the church are like the mustard seed: the rituals may be a one-time event
(like baptism or matrimony) or a small regular spiritual exercise (confession or Eucharistic celebration), but these liturgical ceremonies can have a greater impact when they are taken seriously and be consciously allowed to be part of our daily lives outside the church. The small act of honest prayer can influence our attitude towards problematic situations and people, and thus effect the end result of these problems. The small act of being faithful to God’s “simple” commandments, like honesty and fairness, can make society a better place. Small acts of faithfulness and trust can save relationships. Small acts of generosity can already save lives. The power of the small things, we take for granted and ignore, cannot be underestimated. This confirms a biblical saying: the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone (Ps 118:22, Mt 21:42). Small things in men’s eyes can be big enough in God’s eyes.
- Fr. Simon Boiser, SVD | Hamburg, Germany
The Word in other words 2016
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
