Gospel 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 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.'”
Homily
Very many of us are wondering and hoping that Denesh Ramdin and his players will bring home the 20/20 cricket trophy. In spite of the tremendous talent which our players have displayed over the years, we have grown accustomed to being disappointed because our players seem not to believe in themselves. It is a fact of life and we see it over and over again that people who believe in themselves and in the truth of their mission get the job done.
This weekend the Gospel reminds us of this great truth “Were your faith the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you”.
The truth of the matter is that success does not come easily. Success is only built on truth. Denesh Ramdin and his team will have to confront the truth about themselves. They have to admit that they are not the great team of the eighties. They have to admit that they cannot rely on their talents alone. They also have to admit that in spite of their recent failures they are all very talented individuals. They have to understand that success is built on hard work, and having accepted that truth, they will be able to put in place the strategies which will bring them success.
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We have to accept that we are weak human beings. We have to accept the fact that we have built habits of sin into our lives. We also have to accept however that God’s grace is there for us but we have often refused God’s grace. And then after having accepted the truth of ourselves, if we want it enough, If as the team said “we are hungry for it”, then we take the steps to change our lives and we become better people relying as always on God’s grace.
To be the best that one can be never comes easily, we have to work for it, and especially when we are trying to build our spiritual lives. This is in fact the witness of every one that we admire. Mandela had to overcome apartheid in South Africa, but he worked at it throughout his years in prison. He succeeded. Ghandi overcame the British Empire. He too worked at it.
St. Augustine overcame his life of debauchery. He worked at it. So too did all the saints overcome their weaknesses and temptations, struggling as if everything depended on them, but praying as if everything depended on God.
Today we thank God for the example of those who have succeeded against odds as great as “telling the mulberry tree, to uproot itself and be planted in the sea.” We thank God for the witness of the Mandelas’ and Ghandis and Augustines and Teresas of Calcutta who overcame tremendous odds to achieve what they did. And we remember the people that we know who in their own way have overcome tremendous odds to achieve what they have achieved, perhaps parents or friends. Whoever they are we thank God for their example, and we pray to take courage from them, so that we too may overcome when the odds are stacked against us.
Prayer
All powerful and ever-loving God, you have said to us that in our daily struggle to be faithful, your grace is sufficient for us. Help us Lord to depend on that grace so that we may overcome our weaknesses and live in more faithful communion with YOU. Help us to find strength in your promises and in the examples of those who have grown to be persons of great faith. We ask this through the intercession of the Faithful One, Mary our Mother and Jesus your Son who was faithful unto death. Amen
