A Little Faith Please

Today’s reading continues our reading of Mark (Chapter 9 verses 14 to 29)

How strong are you?

It shows us a very important principle that we should always keep in our minds and hearts.  Somethings we can do and there will be others things which we can do, but simply don’t know how or we are simply not strong enough.  So in our reading today Jesus was coming down off the mountain and someone had the humility and caring to ask for help. Jesus has all the answers and has all the strength.

The father explained the situation and then said “If you can help…” How many times does Jesus have to say it… have faith… have faith.   In another parable he states that if we only have faith the size of a mustard seed (an extremely small seed probably the smallest in the Middle East) they will be able to move mountains.

A famous prayer!

The father then utters one of the most famous of all ejaculatory prayers… “I do believe… Help my unbelief”.  We are all subject to this phenomenon. It is very difficult to believe in those things which we have not experienced… and even when we do experience it, over time our memories fade and we can’t believe what it is that brought us to believe.   This is because the belief is not in our hearts. It is simply in our minds.

The love that I have for my wife… it is in my heart… I have no problem believing her love for me as well.  I experience it every day, just as I experience the love of God every day. Any I certainly try to show that love both through her and all of the people I interact with throughout the day.  But even when I recognize and I see Jesus throughout the day through all of these people, there are many many times I have to pray that same prayers. 

This is part of our ongoing metanoia or change of heart.  We may look back at our pasts and look with distain with what we see… a drinking problem this disorder, that medical condition…God doesn’t see that though.  He sees a man or woman made in the image and likeness of himself… worthy of life and worthy of His love.   It makes no difference what we have done… He loves us and there is no reason at all we should distrust Him in what he says.  All throughout the Bible he repeats time  and time again.. I will be your God and you will be my people.  Have faith… Trust Him…

Our gifts at Baptism

Through Baptism we are made God’s adopted Sons and Daughters.  There will be times you dismiss Him, dislike Him, forget about Him, and perhaps even hate Him.  But His love endures forever.  The Father of this little boy loved God and showed his love for God through his little boy.  The Demon released the child and Jesus explained to the disciples that this kind of demon needed to be released by prayer (and fasting*). All those events, memories and demons which we have attached so deeply into our mind, soul and spirit are taken out the same way.  We ask God for help and we talk and love Him through prayer.  Prayer is the expression of the love of the Father. In that I speak and love my wife, we each in our own unique ways talk and love God.

Be good Play nice Think God!

*Interestingly the most ancient writing we have says only prayer, while other ancient versions have prayer and fasting.  Perhaps, the overriding themes of the benefits of prayer for help and  building your spiritual muscles by fasting are more important than specific words.