When the answers we seek seem delayed and the mountains before us appear impossible to move, God asks us to remain faithful. Jesus reminds us that even small faith becomes powerful when it is placed completely in Him. Today, bring your mountain to Jesus and trust Him with what happens next.
Memorial of Saint Dominic, Priest
Lectionary: 412
Reading 1: Habakkuk 1:12—2:4
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 9:8-9, 10-11, 12-13
Gospel: Matthew 17:14-20
USCCB Daily Mass Readings – Memorial of Saint Dominic, Priest
The Word
Today’s readings remind us of something we all go through. Have you ever found yourself waiting on God, not really sure what He is doing in your life?
Habakkuk saw so much injustice and suffering around him, and he wondered where God was in it all. Have you ever felt that way? Instead of turning away, Habakkuk waited and trusted that God would answer him.
God tells Habakkuk that everything will happen at the right time. Even if it feels like God is taking too long, we are called to wait and trust. God never forgets us. He is always working, even when we cannot see it.
There is a powerful lesson here for us all.
“The just man, because of his faith, shall live.”
The Responsorial Psalm reinforces that message:
“You forsake not those who seek you, O Lord.”
In the Gospel, we see a father who is desperate for his son to be healed. He brings his son to Jesus after the disciples could not help. Jesus heals the boy, showing us the power of faith. When the disciples ask why they could not do it, Jesus reminds them that faith is the key.
Sometimes we think our faith is too small to make a difference. But Jesus tells us that even faith as tiny as a mustard seed can move mountains if we really trust in God. Do you believe that today?
Reflection: Bring the Mountain to Jesus
We all face challenges in our lives. Sometimes, it’s money that worries us. Other times, it’s family problems that weigh on our hearts. We might also find ourselves anxious about what lies ahead. Sometimes, temptations keep coming back, no matter how hard we try to avoid them. Or maybe we’re faced with decisions, and we just don’t know what to do. Sometimes, it feels like we pray and pray, but nothing seems to change.
The prophet Habakkuk reminds us that waiting does not mean God has forgotten us. We might pray and hope for a quick answer, and when it doesn’t come, we start to wonder if God is listening at all. But God always hears us. We only see what’s right in front of us, but God sees our whole journey from beginning to end. God tells Habakkuk that His plan is still moving forward, even if it feels slow to us. We are called to wait and remain faithful, trusting in His timing.
Of course, that’s not always easy for us. We want answers right away, and we want them to be clear. We want our problems to be fixed quickly. We want our challenges to just disappear.
But Jesus invites us to look at our challenges in a new way. He tells His disciples that even a small amount of faith, like a mustard seed, can move mountains. I don’t think Jesus is saying that faith will always give us exactly what we want. Faith means trusting that Jesus is greater than anything we face. This changes the way we pray.
Instead of praying like this:
Jesus, please take away this problem just the way I want.
We can pray like this instead:
Jesus, I give this problem to You. Please show me what You want me to do, give me strength to do it, and handle what I can’t control.
This is what surrender to Jesus looks like. And sometimes, surrender just needs a small beginning. A mustard seed is tiny. Maybe your faith feels that small today. Still, bring whatever faith you have, no matter how small, to Jesus.
You do not need perfect faith to come to Him. You do not have to understand everything. You do not need to know how things will turn out. What matters most is turning toward Jesus, not away from Him.
Saint Dominic: Faith Put Into Action
Today we remember Saint Dominic, a Spanish priest who started the Order of Preachers, the Dominicans. He spent his life sharing the truth of Jesus and bringing the Gospel to people who needed to hear it.
Saint Dominic’s life shows us something important about faith. Faith is not just something we believe in our minds. Faith calls us to do something.
Saint Dominic combined prayer with action. Pope Benedict XVI described him as someone who united constant prayer with energetic service to Christ and His Church. That is something we can try to follow in our own lives.
We can pray, and then we can act. Ask Jesus to show you the way, and then take the next step in faith. Read the Scriptures, and try to live what you learn. Bring your fears to Jesus, and keep moving forward. Trust God with what happens, and do the work He gives you today.
Sometimes the mountain in front of us does not go away right away. Sometimes Jesus gives us the strength to start climbing, even if it feels hard. No matter what, we are not alone. Jesus is with us.
Prayer
Lord Jesus,
There are days when the problems in front of me feel so big, and my faith feels so small. Lord, I bring you all the things I just can’t fix on my own—the worries, the questions, the fears, and the messes that I don’t know how to handle.
Sometimes I get impatient waiting for you to answer, but help me remember that you never forget about me. Give me the faith to trust you, even when I can’t see what you’re doing in my life.
Help me, like Saint Dominic, to be someone who prays and also steps out in faith when you call me. Make my faith stronger, even if it feels small right now. Guide my next step.
And when I run into something that feels impossible, remind me that I am never alone—you are always with me. Jesus, I give you this mountain. I trust you to take care of it for me.
Amen.
Let us take a moment together to respond in faith.
Is there a mountain in your life today that feels too big to climb? I invite you to pause for just five minutes and bring that mountain to Jesus in prayer. You do not have to solve everything right now. Just name your struggle, surrender it to Him, and ask Jesus to guide you to the next step in faith.
If you can, write down a simple prayer:
“Today, I am trusting Jesus with __________.”
Keep this prayer close to your heart as you go about your day.
If fear or worry comes back, turn to Jesus again in prayer:
Jesus, I trust You. You take care of this.
Even a little faith, when placed in our great and loving God, can help us face the biggest challenges in our lives.
