This was the urgent, heartfelt prayer of the disciples. They too wavered. How often we find in the Gospel that Jesus is reprimanding them for their little faith! (see Mt 8:26; 16:8; 17:20). Peter himself, “the rock” on which Jesus would build his Church, was admonished: “Oh you of little faith” (Mt 14:31). Jesus had to pray for him so that his faith would not fail (see Lk 22:32).
This request for an increase in faith is really a prayer for each Christian because faith can fluctuate in the life of each one of us. Even St. Theresa of Lisieux, who throughout her lifetime had a very profound, filial relationship with God, was assailed by “a trial against faith” during the last year and a half of her life. She described it as if a wall raised up all the way to the heavens that even hid the stars (The Story of a Soul, Ms. C).

«Increase our faith!»

The fact is that although we know that God is Love (see 1 Jn 4:8), we often live as if we were alone on this earth, as if we did not have a Father who loves us and who watches over us, who knows all about us, who even counts the hairs of our head (see Mt 10:30), who makes all things – the good we do and the trials we go through – work together for our good.
We should be able to repeat with the Evangelist John: “We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us” (1 Jn 4:16).
To believe, in fact, is to feel that we are looked upon and loved by God, it is knowing that each of our prayers, every word, every move, every sad, joyful, or indifferent event, every illness, everything, everything, everything – from the things we consider important to the most insignificant actions, thoughts, and sentiments – everything is known to God.
And since God is love, complete trust in him is the only logical response. Because of this confidence we can speak with him often, tell him about our concerns, our intentions, our plans. We can abandon ourselves to his love knowing that we will be understood, comforted, helped.

«Increase our faith!»

To this prayer of the disciples, Jesus replied: “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to [this] mulberry tree, ’Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you” (Lk 17:6). “The size of a mustard seed.” Whether great or small is not the most important aspect. Jesus wants our faith to be authentic, founded on him from whom we expect all things, without counting solely on our own abilities.

If we believe, and we believe in a God who loves us, nothing is impossible. We are then able to believe that indifference and selfishness, which we often find around us and in our own hearts, can be uprooted; that situations of disunity in the family can be resolved; that our world will start building unity among generations, among social levels, among Christians divided by centuries; that a worldwide fraternity can blossom among the faithful of different religions, among races and among peoples. We can also believe that humanity will one day live in peace. Yes, everything is possible if we allow God to act. For him, the all-powerful, nothing is impossible.

«Increase our faith!»

How can we live this Word of Life and grow in faith?
First of all, by praying, especially when difficulties and doubts arrive: faith is a gift of God. “Lord,” we can ask, “help me to remain in your love. Grant that I may not live a single moment without feeling, without being aware, without knowing through faith, or even through experience, that you love me, that you love us.”
And then, by loving. By our efforts in loving, our faith will become firm and steadfast. We will not only believe in God’s love, but we will tangibly feel it in our soul, and we will see “miracles” take place around us.
A girl from Great Britain experienced this: “When my mother told me that she had decided to leave my father and to move to another apartment, I was shattered by the news and almost desperate, but I didn’t say anything to her. In the past I would have searched for a means of escape; I would have locked myself in my room and listened to music. Instead, now that I had decided to live the Gospel, I felt drawn to remain there in the midst of that suffering and to say my ‘yes’ to the cross. The time had come for me to go beyond the events in themselves and believe in his love.
“I tried to put aside my own opinions and to listen with love to my mother as she poured out all that she had to say about my father. I looked for a way to stay close to my father as well.
“A few months later, when my parents were already on their way to re-building their relationship, I was touched by something my mother said: ‘Do you remember when I told you that I wanted to leave? Your reaction made me think that I was making the wrong decision.’
“I hadn’t said anything, only a ‘yes’ to Jesus in silence, confident that he would take care of everything.”

Chiara Lubich