Daily Gospel Reflection

Pray Like the Disciples

Welcome back to Radical and Relevant, where each day we're exploring the genius of Jesus, the genius of Catholicism, the genius of the gospels, looking for ways to live the faith more richly in our daily lives. Today's gospel reading comes from Luke chapter 17, verses one through six. And Jesus said to his disciples, "Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to him for whom they come. It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day and turns to you seven times and says, 'I repent,' you must forgive him." The disciples said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." And the Lord said, "If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamore tree, 'Be rooted up, be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you." What jumps out at you today? Is there a word or a phrase or an idea that jumps out? For me, it's this prayer of the disciples. Sometimes it's easy to miss these prayers. The disciples say to Jesus, "Increase our faith." That's a prayer. Okay? They're talking to Jesus. So every time they're talking to Jesus, it's a prayer. And they said to Jesus today, "Increase our faith." And that's a beautiful prayer.

And so today, let that be your mantra just throughout the day. In the moments of the day, in the gaps of the day, don't pick up your phone. If you go to the doctor's, you're sitting there in the waiting room, don't just pick up your phone. If you hit a stoplight, don't just pick up your phone. Standing in line at the grocery store, don't just pick up your phone. But instead, use this prayer of the disciples in the form of a mantra, just over and over, to pray to Jesus, "Increase our faith. Lord, increase my faith. Lord, increase my faith," over and over in those moments, in those gaps in the day, to pray, "Lord, increase our faith." Have a great day. And remember, Be Bold, Be Catholic.