Daily Catholic Lectio. Mon, 24 February ’25. Helplessness and Faith

Daily Catholic Lectio

Mon, 24 February ‘25

Sixth Week in Ordinary Time – Monday

Sirach 1:1-10. Psalm 93. Mark 9:14-29

Helplessness and Faith

Today’s Gospel reading presents an exorcism performed by Jesus. What makes this event unique is that His disciples had already tried to cast out the demon but failed. Jesus, however, succeeds. At the end of the passage, He teaches that prayer and fasting are essential for casting out demons.

This passage highlights three moments of helplessness:

(a) The helplessness of the father: The father of the possessed child is in deep distress. His son suffers physically and is on the brink of destruction due to the demon’s attacks. In his desperation, he first brings the child to Jesus’ disciples and later to Jesus Himself. Fathers often do not openly express their helplessness before their children. Yet, this father is willing to accept and express his helplessness for the sake of his son’s healing.

(b) The helplessness of the disciples: The disciples had already received authority from Jesus to cast out demons. They had previously succeeded in performing exorcisms. However, in this situation, they fail to drive out the demon. The reason for their failure could be: Their own lack of faith; The father’s lack of faith; The crowd’s lack of faith. Despite their efforts, the miracle does not happen.

(c) The helplessness of Jesus: Upon learning that His disciples had failed, Jesus expresses His frustration: “O faithless generation, how long must I stay with you? How long must I endure you? Bring the boy to me!” When the father pleads, “If you can do anything, have pity on us and help us,” Jesus immediately corrects him: “If you can? Everything is possible for one who believes!” Here, Jesus shifts the focus from His own ability to the faith of those around Him.

Thus, all three moments of helplessness are transformed by one powerful word: faith.

The father receives back his healed son.

The disciples learn the importance of prayer and fasting.

Jesus strengthens the faith of both the father and the disciples.

What does this teach us?

In our moments of difficulty, we often feel emotions like disappointment, exhaustion, or helplessness. To overcome these feelings, we need to cling to faith.

However, faith alone is not enough—it must lead to action. Like the father in the Gospel, we must pray with sincerity: “I do believe; help my unbelief!”

Reflecting on our own helplessness

We may be facing various challenges in life: A personal need or lack (like the father); Repeated failures despite efforts (like the disciples); A situation where nothing seems to work, despite trying everything (like Jesus’ frustration). Whatever our helplessness, the journey of faith is necessary to move from failure to victory.

First Reading: Wisdom as the path to overcoming helplessness

In today’s first reading (Sirach 1:1-10), Ben Sira proclaims that God is the source of all wisdom. Wisdom is a gift from God, and it helps us navigate moments of helplessness.

When we rely on both: The wisdom that God gives us, and the faith we cultivate within ourselves, we can overcome even the greatest challenges.

Final Reflection

What situation of helplessness are you facing today?

Like the father, do you feel overwhelmed by your problems?

Like the disciples, have you tried your best but still failed?

Like Jesus, are you exhausted by the lack of faith around you?

Remember, faith is the bridge between helplessness and hope.

May we, like the father in the Gospel, pray: “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief!”

Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi

Archdiocese of Madurai

Missionary of Mercy