Faith The Size of a Mustard Seed

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In today’s Gospel, Jesus comes down from the mountain after the Transfiguration and is immediately met by a desperate father whose son has been suffering terribly. The father had already brought his son to the disciples, but they could not heal him. Imagine the disappointment he must have felt. He did not give up. He brought his son to Jesus Himself. After healing the boy, Jesus explained to the disciples that their lack of faith was the reason they could not cast out the demon. Then He said those unforgettable words: “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed… nothing will be impossible for you.” Jesus wasn’t talking about having a large amount of faith. He was talking about having genuine faith: a faith that chooses to trust Him even when life feels uncertain.

Today the Church also remembers St. Dominic, the founder of the Order of Preachers. St. Dominic lived during a time of confusion in the Church. Many people had wandered from the truth, and fear, division, and false teachings were spreading. He could have responded with anger or discouragement, but instead he trusted that God works through humble and faithful hearts. Dominic preached not because he had all the answers, but because he believed Christ was the answer. His confidence did not come from knowing what tomorrow would bring; it came from knowing who walked with him today. That is what real faith looks like. It is not pretending everything is okay. It is believing that even when life is not okay, God remains faithful.

I think one of the hardest battles we face isn’t always what is happening around us, but what is happening inside us. Our minds can become experts at imagining tomorrow’s disasters before today has even ended. We begin carrying burdens that haven’t happened, grieving losses we have not experienced, and fearing outcomes that exist only in our imagination. Fear has a way of convincing us that “what if” is more real than “God is with me.” Yet Jesus never invites us to live in imaginary futures. He meets us here, in this moment. The mustard seed of faith is simply the courage to say, “Lord, I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but I know You are already there.” Perhaps that is why Jesus speaks about faith instead of certainty. He never promises that we will understand everything or control everything. He promises Himself. Faith is not having every question answered; it is trusting the One who is greater than every question.

Today, I invite you to do one simple thing. Find a quiet moment and listen prayerfully to the hymn “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”. Don’t just hear the melody but pray with the words. Let them remind you that every fear, every burden, every unanswered “what if” can be brought to Christ, who never grows tired of carrying what we cannot.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You know the fears we carry, even the ones we never speak aloud. When our hearts wander into endless “what ifs,” gently lead us back to the certainty of Your presence. Give us the faith of the mustard seed – not a perfect faith, but a trusting one. May we remember that You are already waiting in every tomorrow we fear. Amen.

– Homily by Rev Fr Patrick Agbeko