Deacon Paul Nghia Pham - St. Rita Parish, Portland, OR
“FAITH AS SMALL AS A MUSTARD SEED”
Habakkuk 1:2–3, 2:2–4; 2 Timothy 1:6–8, 13–14, Luke 17:5–10
A little boy once planted a seed in a pot. Every day he watered it, waited, and stared at the soil. After a week, nothing. After two weeks, nothing. He was discouraged and almost gave up. But on the third week, a tiny green shoot pushed through the soil. That fragile sprout became the beginning of a strong tree. Faith often feels like that—hidden, small, fragile. But if we care for it with trust and perseverance, God makes it grow into something life-giving.
Today’s Gospel begins with the apostles crying out: “Lord, increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5). Who among us has not prayed that same prayer? Especially when life is hard, when prayers seem unanswered, when God feels silent. Like the prophet Habakkuk in the first reading, we sometimes cry out: “How long, O Lord? I cry for help but you do not listen!” (Hab 1:2). And yet God’s answer is clear: “The righteous one, because of his faith, shall live” (Hab 2:4).
Faith, then, is not magic. It is trust. It is perseverance. It is believing when the soil still looks empty.
Let me share the story of Maria Kutschera, a young woman in Vienna after World War I. Orphaned, abused, and angry at God, she wandered into a cathedral one day only because she was looking for a free concert. Instead, she heard a young Jesuit priest preach. Furious, she confronted him: “How can you believe all this?” That encounter led to confession and an encounter with God’s mercy that transformed her heart. She later became Maria von Trapp, whose family story inspired The Sound of Music. From brokenness to blessing, from unbelief to deep faith—her life shows us what Jesus means when He says that faith as small as a mustard seed can change everything.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, like the apostles, like Habakkuk, like Maria, we struggle with faith. Saint Augustine once admitted: “Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of faith is to see what you believe.”
Saint Paul, in today’s second reading, reminds Timothy: “Stir into flame the gift of God… for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control” (2 Tim 1:6–7). Faith is this flame. It may flicker, but God calls us to stir it, feed it, and guard it.
And here is where Pastor Duke Kwon’s reflection rings true:
“We demand answers; God gives us wisdom.
We demand ease; God gives us endurance.
We demand certainty; God gives us faith.
We demand a crown; God gives us a cross.
We demand His gifts; God gives us Himself.”
Isn’t that the heart of Catholic faith? God doesn’t just give us “things.” He gives us Himself—above all in the Eucharist. Each Mass is our chance to say: “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.”
And notice how Jesus ends today’s Gospel—not with glory but with humility: “When you have done all you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’” (Luke 17:10). True faith is lived not in grand miracles but in humble, daily obedience—serving our families, forgiving those who hurt us, persevering in prayer, and doing the ordinary duties of love.
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, whose feast we just celebrated, said it beautifully: “To pick up a pin for love can convert a soul.” Even the smallest act, done with faith, has eternal weight.
Summary & Take-home Points
So what do we take home today? Three points:
- Faith is often a struggle—but God invites us to trust Him in the waiting. Like Habakkuk, cry out to Him honestly; He hears.
- Faith is a gift to be stirred into flame. Nurture it through prayer, the sacraments, and the Word of God.
- Faith grows strongest in humble obedience. Great miracles may impress, but daily fidelity transforms.
So today, brothers and sisters, let me ask:
- Do we have the courage to trust God even when His answers are delayed?
- Do we stir our faith daily, or do we let the noise of the world drown out His voice?
- Are we content to serve as “unworthy servants,” knowing that in obedience lies the deepest miracle of all?
Final Prayer
Lord Jesus,
when Your apostles cried out, “Increase our faith!” You reminded them that even faith as small as a mustard seed can uproot trees and plant them in the sea. Like the prophet Habakkuk, teach us to wait with trust when answers seem delayed. Like Saint Paul encouraged Timothy, help us to stir into flame the gift You have placed within us. And like humble servants, may we do our daily duty with love, not seeking glory, but only to please You.
Grant us, Lord, the grace to live each day with mustard-seed faith—small in the world’s eyes, but powerful in Your hands. And when our journey is done, may we hear You say: “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Amen.