It Only Takes a Little Faith

by David Lins  |  07/23/2023  |  (Being) Catholic Matters

This week, our Gospel contains quite a few more parables. We get Jesus’ comparing the kingdom of God to a tny mustard seed that turns into a big “tree” - which, truth be told - looks like an unruly shrub that grows to ten feet before spreading horizontally.

Have you ever asked yourself why? Dr. Brant Pitre proposes it might be because it only takes a little faith to be welcomed into one’s heart and nurtured for it to take root. Then, in often messy ways, it grows and spreads all over the place.

And I propose one of the key words there is “messy.”

The Lord creates the artwork of our lives by using the crooked lines of our free will, provided we curve back around to him each time we stray.

Which leads us to another of this weekend’s parables: the field of wheat where an enemy sowed weeds. What an evil act! And that is something we all need to recognize: evil has been sown into the world by an enemy.

Through free will, most of us fight off the weeds of temptation, turning back to God every time we fail, much like our first pope, Peter. But there are those among us who have given themselves over to the darkness, like Judas.

I’m sure some of you have already seen the excellent, difficult, and important film, Sound of Freedom. It tackles one of the worst examples of evil in our world, child sex trafficking. If you are someone who is able to watch it, you should. (While not graphic, it does have the power to disturb those of you unable to shake such evil, so I wouldn’t say it is for everyone—but most people need to see this film.)

There is one scene (I won’t spoil it with details) where one of the good guys quotes Matthew 18:6. “If anyone causes one of these little ones to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”

We must pray for the little ones and for those working to stop evil. We must also be vigilant. After all, we have been called to protect the littlest of the flock from the wolves