Increase our faith!  This is the request of the disciples in today’s Gospel.  It is interesting how human beings seem to desire an increase in so many things in life.  We often think that more will be better.  Some would like increased bank accounts.  Others would like increased social recognition or increased friendship circles.  Increased holidays would be nice.  An increase in the hours of the day would help some people.  But for the disciples, today it is an increase in faith.  That is what they are after.

How much faith is enough?  How much faith in forgiveness does one need?  How much faith that God will bring life and light out of darkness and death is enough?  How much faith that peace and justice can one day reign will do?

According to Jesus we don’t need much.  If your faith were the size of a mustard seed, you could move mountains!  Luke’s gospel actually says ‘you could say to a mulberry tree be uprooted and planted in the sea’.  I think we would probably use the simpler metaphor ‘you could move mountains’!   With a little faith you can do a lot.

And of course a little bit of faith is not going to be used to perform spectacular supernatural feats like literally moving mountains.  A little bit of faith is going to bring about a healed relationship.  How much faith in forgiveness do I need to offer a hand of friendship in order to heal a relationship?  We ask our children to do it all the time.  We teach our young ones to forgive from an early age.  And how much faith do I need to smile at someone who looks lost or alone?  How much faith do I need to calm myself down and realise that I am loved for who I am; that I am precious in the eyes of God; that I am made in God’s image even in all my imperfection.  And how much faith do I need to believe that if that is true of me it is true of all.

A little bit of faith can go a long way.  Sometimes the biggest challenge is just to let go and have faith.

By Fr Brendan Reed