Homily – Saturday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Readings:

  • Deuteronomy 6:4-13 – The great commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength.”

  • Psalm 18:2-3a, 3bc-4, 47, 51 – “I love you, Lord, my strength.”

  • Matthew 17:14-20 – Healing of the boy possessed by a demon; faith the size of a mustard seed.



Introduction

Have you ever been given a tiny gift that turned out to be far more valuable than it looked? Perhaps a small key that opens a treasure chest, or a little plant that grows into a massive shade tree? Today’s Gospel reminds us that faith, even if small, can accomplish the impossible—but it has to be real, alive, and rooted in God.

A little boy once planted a mustard seed in a pot. After two days, he looked and saw nothing. He came to his grandmother and said, “This thing doesn’t work!” She told him, “Faith is like gardening—you can’t dig it up every day to check if it’s growing.” He frowned and said, “But Grandma, God could at least text me to say it’s working!”
Sometimes, like the disciples in the Gospel, we want instant results. But faith often grows quietly, in God’s timing.

The Word of God

First Reading (Deuteronomy 6:4-13)
Moses gives Israel the Shema, the central confession of faith: “The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.” Loving God is not about feelings alone; it’s about total commitment—heart, soul, and strength. This love shapes every action, conversation, and decision.

Psalm 18
The psalmist declares God as refuge, fortress, deliverer. Love for God is not theoretical—it comes from lived experience of His saving power.

Gospel (Matthew 17:14-20)
The disciples fail to heal a boy possessed by a demon. Jesus points to their “little faith” not as quantity but as quality—faith that wavers, doubts, and does not fully trust God’s power. He uses the mustard seed image: genuine trust, even if tiny, can move mountains.

Connection of the Readings

Both Moses and Jesus focus on total trust in God. Deuteronomy calls us to love God entirely; the Gospel shows the power unleashed when that love turns into real trust. Psalm 18 acts as the bridge—our love for God grows when we experience Him as our strength and refuge.

Reflection Questions

  1. Do I love God with my whole heart, or only in certain parts of my life?

  2. Where is God asking me to trust Him more deeply?

  3. What “mountains” in my life need mustard-seed faith to move?

Implications for Daily Living (Jubilee Year & Synod on Synodality)

  • Jubilee Year: Let faith lead you to freedom—freedom from fear, grudges, and doubt. Live with the courage that God is bigger than your challenges.

  • Synod on Synodality: Journeying together as Church requires trust—trust in God’s guidance, in each other, and in the Holy Spirit’s work in every believer.

Inspiration / Motivation

God doesn’t ask you to have giant faith—He asks for genuine faith. Even the smallest step of trust, when placed in His hands, can set miracles in motion.

Quote

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

Final Thoughts

We often think our faith is too small for God to use. But God delights in taking what is small and making it great. The question is not, “How much faith do I have?” but “Am I willing to trust the One who can move mountains?”

Concluding Prayer

Lord,
Teach me to love You with all my heart, all my soul, and all my strength.
When my faith feels small, remind me that You can do great things with little beginnings.
Give me courage to trust You fully,
patience to wait on Your timing,
and humility to depend on Your power.
May I walk this day with mustard-seed faith,
ready to see the mountains move.
Amen.

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