Daily Catholic Lectio. Sun, 5 Oct ‘25. Living Out Our Faith

Daily Catholic Lectio

Sun, 5 Oct ‘25

Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Habakkuk 1:2–3; 2:2–4. 2 Timothy 1:6–8, 13–14. Luke 17:5–10

Living Out Our Faith

Have you ever felt like this? Like a donkey that has been worked to exhaustion and then abandoned? Or that you try to do good, but good never seems to return to you? Or that you cry out to God, but He seems silent? Or that life moves forward, but you cannot see where it is heading? Or that you doubt yourself, wondering: “Can I do this? Am I capable?” Or that people make use of you, but no one shares in your joys or your tears?

If you said “yes” to any of these, then today’s Word of God is for you. The readings give us a way forward: faith is not an idea to keep in our heads, but a reality to be lived each day.

1. Habakkuk: Faith in God’s timing

Habakkuk lived at a time of crisis. King Josiah, who brought reforms and put God at the centre of Judah’s life, had died. Now foreign rulers—Egyptians and Babylonians—dominated the land. Injustice spread, and Habakkuk cried out: “How long, O Lord, must I cry for help and you do not listen? Why do you make me see ruin?”

These are the questions of a tired believer, the cry of someone who feels abandoned. But God’s answer is powerful: “Write down the vision clearly, so that even a runner can read it. The vision will come at its appointed time. The proud shall fail, but the righteous shall live by faith.”

Faith here is described not as blind optimism, but as seeing with God’s eyes. To live by faith is to accept that history is not random but guided by God’s purpose. Evil will not have the last word. Faith means carrying God’s vision, even when our own eyes see only chaos.

2. Timothy: Faith with courage

In the second reading, Paul writes to Timothy, a young leader entrusted with the church in Ephesus. Timothy faces criticism, opposition, and discouragement. People doubt him. Fear creeps into his heart.

Paul reminds him: “Stir into flame the gift of God that you received through the laying on of hands. God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but of power, love, and self-control.”

Notice how Paul strengthens Timothy: He recalls the faith of Timothy’s grandmother Lois and mother Eunice—faith that shaped him. He recalls the moment of ordination, when hands were laid on him, reminding him of the gift within him. Faith, then, is not just inherited; it is sustained by memory and community. It gives courage to endure rejection, strength to proclaim Christ without shame, and perseverance to continue the mission. Faith lived out here means: Do not measure life by whether everything is easy. Rather, measure it by whether you remain faithful in difficulty.

3. The Gospel: Faith in action

The disciples ask Jesus: “Increase our faith!” This request shows not that they had no faith, but that they felt small when comparing themselves to Jesus. Jesus replies: “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” Faith may look tiny, but it carries God’s power. A mustard seed is small, yet alive. A living faith—however small—can achieve the impossible. Then Jesus tells a story about servants. After a long day’s work, servants were not thanked or praised—they simply did their duty. Jesus uses this image to say: faith is lived not in search of recognition, but in humble service.

Faith lived out is: Serving without complaint, Acting without demanding reward, Living as God’s servants, content in fulfilling our duty.

Putting it all together

So, what does it mean to live our faith today? Habakkuk teaches: Faith means trusting God’s timing. When we cannot see the end, we still believe He holds history. Timothy teaches: Faith means courage in ministry, even when rejected or discouraged. The Gospel teaches: Faith means humble service—doing our duty without expecting applause. Living faith is like a bird building a nest: each day, twig by twig, small efforts become something lasting.

As Habakkuk heard: “The righteous shall live by faith.”

As Paul told Timothy: “Stir into flame the gift of God.”

And as Jesus said: “Even faith like a mustard seed can move mountains.”

Let us live our faith today—in trust, in courage, in humble service.

Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi

Archdiocese of Madurai

Missionary of Mercy