20260808 FAITH IS STRENGTHENED BY HOPE
08 August 2026, Saturday, 18th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
Habakkuk 1:12-2:4 |
If the vision comes slowly, wait: it will come without fail
Are not you, from ancient times the Lord,
my God, my Holy One, who never dies?
O Lord, you have made this people an instrument of justice,
set it firm as a rock in order to punish.
Your eyes are too pure to rest on wickedness,
you cannot look on at tyranny.
Why do you look on while men are treacherous,
and stay silent while the evil man swallows a better man than he?
You treat mankind like fishes in the sea,
like creeping, masterless things.
A people, these, who catch all on their hook,
who draw them with their net,
in their dragnet gather them,
and so, triumphantly, rejoice.
At this, they offer a sacrifice to their net,
and burn incense to their dragnet,
for providing them with luxury
and lavish food.
Are they then to empty their net unceasingly,
slaughtering nations without pity?
I will stand on my watchtower,
and take up my post on my battlements,
watching to see what he will say to me,
what answer he will make to my complaints.
Then the Lord answered and said,
‘Write the vision down,
inscribe it on tablets
to be easily read,
since this vision is for its own time only:
eager for its own fulfilment, it does not deceive;
if it comes slowly, wait,
for come it will, without fail.
‘See how he flags, he whose soul is not at rights,
but the upright man will live by his faithfulness.’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 9A(9):8-13 |
You will never forsake those who seek you, O Lord.
The Lord sits enthroned for ever.
He has set up his throne for judgement;
he will judge the world with justice,
he will judge the peoples with his truth.
You will never forsake those who seek you, O Lord.
For the oppressed let the Lord be a stronghold,
a stronghold in times of distress.
Those who know your name will trust you;
you will never forsake those who seek you.
You will never forsake those who seek you, O Lord.
Sing psalms to the Lord who dwells in Zion.
Proclaim his mighty works among the peoples,
for the Avenger of blood has remembered them,
has not forgotten the cry of the poor.
You will never forsake those who seek you, O Lord.
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Ep1:17,18 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
enlighten the eyes of our mind,
so that we can see what hope his call holds for us.
Alleluia!
Gospel |
Matthew 17:14-20 |
If your faith were the size of a mustard seed, the mountain would move
A man came up to Jesus and went down on his knees before him. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘take pity on my son: he is a lunatic and in a wretched state; he is always falling into the fire or into the water. I took him to your disciples and they were unable to cure him.’ ‘Faithless and perverse generation!’ Jesus said in reply ‘How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.’ And when Jesus rebuked it the devil came out of the boy who was cured from that moment.
Then the disciples came privately to Jesus. ‘Why were we unable to cast it out?’ they asked. He answered, ‘Because you have little faith. I tell you solemnly, if your faith were the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it would move; nothing would be impossible for you.’
FAITH IS STRENGTHENED BY HOPE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Habakkuk 1:12-2:4; Matthew 17:14-20]
In the First Reading, we hear the cries of the poor for justice and liberation. In ancient times, as in our own, the poor and vulnerable were often manipulated and left at the mercy of the rich and powerful. Those in power used their position to buy off the rich to become even wealthier and more influential, and to buy off the poor for their political support. Indeed, we see this kind of politics everywhere at every level of society, whether in the corporate, political, or religious world. When we suffer severe injustice at the hands of others–even to the point of losing our jobs, families, or reputations–how can we continue to believe in a God of justice?
Indeed, when we are down and suffering immensely because of unjust and cruel people, we begin to lose faith in God. This was the case for the prophet Habakkuk. He prophesied at a time when the Babylonians were rising in power, and he could not understand why God would allow them to punish Judah. He found it difficult to reconcile God’s love for His people with His apparent refusal to help them in their suffering. Is this not also the case for us? When we seek God’s help in our illnesses, financial difficulties, or complex predicaments, and an answer does not seem to be forthcoming, we too begin to lose hope.
Like the prophet in that state of helplessness, we, too, question God’s justice. Habakkuk prayed: “Are you not from ancient times, O Lord, my God, my Holy One, who never dies? Lord, you have made this people an instrument of justice, setting it firm as a rock in order to punish. Your eyes are too pure to look upon wickedness; you cannot tolerate tyranny. Why then do you look on while men are treacherous, and stay silent while the evil man swallows up someone more righteous than he? You treat mankind like the fish of the sea, like creeping, masterless creatures. These people catch everyone on their hook, drag them in their nets, gather them in their dragnets, and so triumphantly rejoice.”
So, too, the man whose son was possessed by an unclean spirit. In desperation, he turned to the Lord and said, “Take pity on my son: he is a lunatic and in a wretched state; he is always falling into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they were unable to cure him.” The disciples had been asked to help, but they could not drive the spirit out of the boy (cf. Mk 9:17ff).
Hence, the Lord sought to awaken the faith of His disciples: “O faithless and perverse generation! How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.” Then, when Jesus rebuked the demon, it came out of the boy, and he was cured from that very moment. Faith is necessary to allow God to take control of our lives. Later, the Lord explained to the disciples why they had been unable to heal the boy: “Truly I tell you, if your faith were the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move; nothing would be impossible for you.”
How can anyone arrive at such faith, even if it is as tiny as a mustard seed? It is not that we do not want to have faith, but rather that we feel inadequate to surrender in faith due to fear, a lack of trust, or a reluctance to be disappointed. Indeed, many of us hope for God to intervene in our illnesses, financial woes, and difficult relationships with spouses, bosses, in-laws, or colleagues–yet our situations remain unchanged. Hence, when the Lord said to the father, “Everything is possible for one who believes,” the father immediately exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mk 9:23-24). This must be our prayer as well. Many of us do believe in God, but our faith exists at varying levels.
How, then, can we grow our faith? How can we overcome our unbelief? Faith thrives on hope; the stronger our hope, the stronger our faith. Without hope, there can be no faith–we all live by hope. The prophet Isaiah wrote: “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isa 40:29-31). Similarly, the Letter to the Hebrews states: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for” (Heb 11:1-2).
As Christians, we do not merely hold out hope; we have a certain hope in Christ. Because of His death and resurrection, we are assured of our future victory over sin, injustice, and death. This hope is given to us through the presence of the Holy Spirit as a foretaste and pledge of what is to come. “And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Rom 5:2-5).
It is through this hope in Christ that we can persevere even in the face of injustice, suffering, and evil. This is precisely what St. Peter exhorted persecuted Christians to do–namely, to praise God for a living hope: “In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Pt 1:3-5, 8-9).
That is why we must affirm that our God is in complete control of human history and our personal lives. God has a plan that we cannot always see clearly. He told the prophet: “Write the vision down, inscribe it on tablets to be easily read, since this vision is for its own time only: eager for its own fulfilment, it does not deceive; if it comes slowly, wait, for come it will, without fail.” Therefore, we must trust that God knows what He is doing. At times, we may feel that He is absent or indifferent, but He is working–slowly but surely–to liberate us and bring justice to the earth. Instead of taking matters into our own hands, we must allow God’s plan to unfold.
Thus, faith requires patience and perseverance. We need to remain calm and wait patiently for the Lord to act. It is our impatience and desire to take control that often cause us even greater distress. Jesus was never rash in fulfilling His Father’s mission: He knew when to withdraw when opposition mounted, and He knew when to stand up to His opponents. He was never merely reactive, unlike the apostles. The same composure is required of us.
Let us take to heart the reminder our Lord gave through the prophet: “See, how he flags, he whose soul is not at rights; but the upright man will live by his faithfulness.” When we lose focus and take things into our own hands–using unjust or devious means to get what we want–we will always remain fearful, anxious, and devoid of peace. However, if we live a just life grounded in faith that God is the righteous judge of the earth, our lives will be secure. Indeed, as the psalmist says: “The Lord sits enthroned forever. He has set up his throne for judgment; he will judge the world with justice, he will judge the peoples with his truth. For the oppressed, let the Lord be a stronghold, a stronghold in times of distress. Those who know your name will trust you.”
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
