Daily Readings - Sat Aug 08 2020
Habakkuk
12Have you not existed from the beginning, Lord my God, my holy one, and so we shall not die? Lord, you have stationed him for judgment, and you have establish that his strength will be swept away13Your eyes are pure, you do not behold evil, and you cannot look towards iniquity. Why do you look upon the agents of iniquity, and remain silent, while the impious is devouring one who is more just than himself14And you will make men like the fish of the sea and like the creeping things that have no ruler15He lifted up everything with his hook. He drew them in with his dragnet, and gathered them into his netting. Over this, he will rejoice and exult16For this reason, he will offer victims to his dragnet, and he will sacrifice to his netting. For through them, his portion has been made fat, and his meals elite17Because of this, therefore, he expands his dragnet and will not be lenient in continually putting to death the peoples
1I will stand firm during my watch, and fix my position over the fortification. And I will observe carefully, to see what might be said to me and what I might respond to my opponent2And the Lord responded to me and said: Write the vision and explain it on tablets, so that he who reads it may run through it3For as yet the vision is far off, and it will appear in the end, and it will not lie. If it expresses any delay, wait for it. For it is arriving and it will arrive, and it will not be hindered4Behold, he who is unbelieving, his soul will not be right within himself; but he who is just shall live in his faith
Matthew
14And when he had arrived at the multitude, a man approached him, falling to his knees before him, saying:15"Lord, take pity on my son, for he is an epileptic, and he suffers harm. For he frequently falls into fire, and often also into water16And I brought him to your disciples, but they were not able to cure him."17Then Jesus responded by saying: "What an unbelieving and perverse generation! How long shall I be with you? How long shall I endure you? Bring him here to me."18And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon went out of him, and the boy was cured from that hour19Then the disciples approached Jesus privately and said, "Why were we unable to cast him out?"20Jesus said to them: "Because of your unbelief. Amen I say to you, certainly, if you will have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it shall move. And nothing will be impossible for you
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the power of faith and the importance of trusting in God’s plan, even when the world around us seems uncertain or unjust. In the first reading from Habakkuk, the prophet cries out to God, questioning why the wicked prosper and the just suffer. Habakkuk’s lament reflects a deep human struggle: the desire for justice and the frustration of waiting for God’s intervention. Yet, in the midst of his doubt, God assures him that the vision of justice will come in due time. The prophet is called to remain steadfast and trust in God’s promise, even when the fulfillment seems delayed.
In the Gospel, we encounter a father who brings his epileptic son to Jesus, desperate for healing. The father’s plea is one of both sorrow and faith, yet he is met with the disciples’ inability to help. Jesus responds by rebuking the demon and healing the boy, teaching the disciples that their lack of faith was the obstacle. Jesus emphasizes that even a small amount of faith—like a mustard seed—can move mountains. This passage reminds us that faith is not about our own strength but about trusting in God’s power to overcome even the most daunting challenges.
These readings call us to examine our own faith and trust in God. Like Habakkuk, we may find ourselves questioning why evil seems to prevail or why our prayers seem unanswered. Like the disciples, we may feel inadequate or unsure of our ability to trust. Yet, the readings assure us that faith, even in its smallest form, is enough. God’s timing and ways are not our own, but we are called to stand firm, to wait patiently, and to trust that His plan will unfold. Let us pray for the grace to grow in faith, to persevere in hope, and to trust in God’s promise of ultimate justice and healing.