Lack of Faith
August 3, 2007

Friday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time
Father Ernest Daly, LC

Matthew 13:54-58
Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue. They were astonished and said, "Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds? Is he not the carpenter´s son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? Are not his sisters all with us? Where did this man get all this?" And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house." And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith.

Introductory Prayer: Lord, I come before you today to renew my faith in you. Help me to see the great things you have done in my life. Thank you for your constant mercy towards me. I put myself at your service so you can do whatever you wish in my life.

Petition: Lord, increase my faith in you.

1. Too Much Familiarity. The people of Nazareth thought they knew all about Jesus. He had grown up among them. Apparently they had not seen anything extraordinary about him before he started his public ministry. They thought he was just like everyone else. So when they hear that he is doing miracles and teaching with authority, they do not believe it. Sometimes I also run the danger of putting limits on Christ’s power in my life. I see the unimpressive circumstances of my life and the recurrence of the same old problems. I do not believe that Christ can do something supernatural in the midst of an ordinary situation. Today I am receiving an invitation to step beyond the routine and believe more deeply in the power of Christ

2. An Unwelcome Prophet. The solution to their deepest problems was in their own backyard. Yet, they felt that such a familiar figure could not bring anything extraordinary. When the Church sometimes challenges me with some of her teachings – on charity, on family life, on the need to be courageous witnesses –, do I sometimes find excuses, like saying that my circumstances are too difficult, or the Church does not understand my situation? Do I sometimes let the prophetic voice of the Church die in my heart? When I feel challenged by the Gospel and by the Church I should be thankful. Christ is inviting me to discover the deepest meaning of my life. He is giving me a chance to allow his presence to make a deep change in my life. He is allowing me to discover him in faith and is taking me beyond my comfort zone to the level of the coming of his Kingdom.

3. A Miracle Worker in Waiting. What sort of miracles does Christ want to do in my life? Christ has a plan to make my life a luminous witness to the power of his grace. He wants to fill my life with his holiness and help me be a light for others. If I can shake off my superficiality and lack of faith, I will discover the powerful presence of the Savior who helps me live each moment with depth and love. He can do miracles in my life. He can help me live the virtues which are most costly for me. Am I willing to take a risk for Christ and trust him totally?

Conversation with Christ: Lord, I know you want to do great things in my life. Help me to see how you can transform the ordinary, seemingly unimportant circumstances of my day into moments when your grace can triumph. Enable me to be docile to your Holy Spirit, so he can do miracles in my life.

Resolution: I will increase my faith in Christ by taking a risk for him in some aspect of my spiritual or apostolic life.

Vespers -- Evening Prayer

Vespers (Evening Prayer)

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 40 (41)
Prayer in time of sickness
Blessed is he who takes thought for the helpless, for the Lord will keep him safe in time of trouble. The Lord will guard him and give him life. He will give him good fortune on the earth, and not betray him into the power of his enemies. The Lord will lend him strength on his bed of pain; you will transform all his sickness into health. I said, “Lord, have mercy, heal my soul, for I have sinned against you”. My enemies spoke against me, saying: “When will he die? When will his name perish?” When one of them came to visit me, he talked of nothing, but stored up wickedness in his heart. He went out, and told tales against me. All my enemies whispered together against me, imagined the worst: “A plague has taken hold of him: he has lain down and will not rise”. Even my dearest friend, in whom I put my trust, who had eaten my bread – even he trampled me down. But you, Lord – have mercy on me, revive me, and I will pay them back. This is how I know that I have your favour, when my enemy cannot triumph over me, when you raise me up because of my innocence, and put me in your presence for all eternity. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, from the beginning to the end of time. Amen! Amen! Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 40 (41)

Prayer in time of sickness

Blessed is he who takes thought for the helpless, for the Lord will keep him safe in time of trouble.
The Lord will guard him and give him life. He will give him good fortune on the earth, and not betray him into the power of his enemies.
The Lord will lend him strength on his bed of pain; you will transform all his sickness into health.

I said, “Lord, have mercy, heal my soul, for I have sinned against you”.
My enemies spoke against me, saying: “When will he die? When will his name perish?”
When one of them came to visit me, he talked of nothing, but stored up wickedness in his heart. He went out, and told tales against me.

All my enemies whispered together against me, imagined the worst:
“A plague has taken hold of him: he has lain down and will not rise”.
Even my dearest friend, in whom I put my trust, who had eaten my bread – even he trampled me down.

But you, Lord – have mercy on me, revive me, and I will pay them back.
This is how I know that I have your favour, when my enemy cannot triumph over me,
when you raise me up because of my innocence, and put me in your presence for all eternity.

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, from the beginning to the end of time. Amen! Amen!

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Psalm 45 (46)
God, our refuge and our strength
The Lord is our refuge and our strength, a true help in our troubles. Therefore we do not fear, even when the earth is shaken and mountains fall into the depths of the sea, the waves roar and foam and rise up to shake the mountains. The streams of the river give joy to the city of God, the holy dwelling-place of the Most High. God is within it, it will not be shaken; God will give help as the day dawns. The nations are in turmoil and kingdoms totter: at the sound of his voice, the earth flows like water. The Lord of strength is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge. Come and see the works of the Lord, who has done wonders on the earth. He puts an end to wars over all the world: he tramples the bow, shatters weapons, and burns the shields with fire. Stop and see that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth. The Lord of strength is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 45 (46)

God, our refuge and our strength

The Lord is our refuge and our strength, a true help in our troubles.
Therefore we do not fear, even when the earth is shaken and mountains fall into the depths of the sea,
the waves roar and foam and rise up to shake the mountains.

The streams of the river give joy to the city of God, the holy dwelling-place of the Most High.
God is within it, it will not be shaken; God will give help as the day dawns.
The nations are in turmoil and kingdoms totter: at the sound of his voice, the earth flows like water.

The Lord of strength is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Come and see the works of the Lord, who has done wonders on the earth.
He puts an end to wars over all the world: he tramples the bow, shatters weapons, and burns the shields with fire.
Stop and see that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.

The Lord of strength is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Canticle	Apocalypse 15
A hymn of adoration
Great and wonderful are your works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are your ways, King of all nations! Who, Lord, will not revere and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship in your presence, for your judgements have been seen by all. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Canticle

Apocalypse 15

A hymn of adoration

Great and wonderful are your works, Lord God Almighty;
just and true are your ways, King of all nations!

Who, Lord, will not revere and glorify your name? For you alone are holy.
All nations will come and worship in your presence, for your judgements have been seen by all.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Short reading	Romans 15:1 - 3 ©
We who are strong have a duty to put up with the qualms of the weak without thinking of ourselves. Each of us should think of his neighbours and help them to become stronger Christians. Christ did not think of himself: the words of scripture apply to him – the insults of those who insult you fall on me.

Canticle	Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation. For he has shown me such favour – me, his lowly handmaiden. Now all generations will call me blessed, because the mighty one has done great things for me. His name is holy, his mercy lasts for generation after generation for those who revere him. He has put forth his strength: he has scattered the proud and conceited, torn princes from their thrones; but lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things; the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel, he has remembered his mercy as he promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Canticle

Magnificat

My soul rejoices in the Lord

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation.
For he has shown me such favour –
me, his lowly handmaiden.
Now all generations will call me blessed,
because the mighty one has done great things for me.
His name is holy,
his mercy lasts for generation after generation
for those who revere him.

He has put forth his strength:
he has scattered the proud and conceited,
torn princes from their thrones;
but lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things;
the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel,
he has remembered his mercy as he promised to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Prayers and Intercessions

Blessed be God. In his kindness he answers the prayers of those in need and fills the hungry full of good things. Let us put our trust in him and pray: - Lord, show us your compassion.
Lord and gentle Father, we pray for the suffering limbs of the Church:: whose Head, your Son, suffered on the cross, and completed his sacrifice as day was ending.
Free those who are in bondage, give sight to the blind,: look after widows and orphans.
Clothe the faithful in your armour: to resist the snares of the Devil.
Be close to us, Lord, in our last hours:: in your compassion, judge us to be faithful and let us leave this world at peace with you.
Lead the dead into your light:: may they enjoy the sight of you for ever.

Our Father, who art in Heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those that trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

To your servants, O Lord, grant this:
that we may learn from the example of your Son’s passion
to be ready always to bear his gentle burden.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Amen.

May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.

A M E N