Saturday August 7th: Deep faith

“You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you?”

Matthew 17:14-20

The apostles were upset that they failed to cure this boy and wanted to know why. Who would have figured these guys walking the walk and talking the talk lacked faith?
Like the man in this story, I too had an ill son, seven at the time preparing for First Holy Communion had been struggling and suffering with acute Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). One of the hardest things ever is to witness a loved one suffer. I prayed and cried, I cried and prayed. Until one day he (my son Zayne) told me I had been doing this wrong, because if I believed that Jesus would heal him, I would not be in so much of tears. He said “Jesus, is probably very sad because you don’t really believe that he can heal me, but I believe and when I receive Jesus on my First Holy Communion Day, I will be healed”.
I need not tell you he has not had an episode of GERD since 6th July 2014. There is no need to knock on wood when there is faith like this.
Let us consider what the quality of our relationship with Jesus is – do we really trust him – do we spend much time in his company? If not, why might this be? Let us pray insistently to grow in faith. Amen