True Faith

On By bayuopIn English, Ordinary Time

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time [C]

October 5, 2025

Luke 17:5-10

Faith is a powerful act. Our Lord teaches that with faith even as small as a mustard seed, we could command a mulberry tree to be uprooted and planted in the sea. Yet, He also reminds us that faith alone is not enough. It must be accompanied by another essential virtue. What is that?

In simple terms, faith is an act of trust in God and in His Son, Jesus Christ. Throughout history, believers have experienced its tremendous, miraculous power. Through faith in Jesus, many find healing—both physical and psychological—even from incurable diseases. Through faith, countless people have life-transforming experiences, discovering profound meaning and joy. Through faith, many receive spiritual gifts, including extraordinary ones like healing and prophecy.

Despite this earth-shaking power, our Lord reminds us that we are ultimately God’s “servants.” Faith does not make us masters; it opens our eyes to the truth of our identity. If we believe in an almighty Creator, then we are His creatures. An unbridgeable gap exists between us: God is everything, and we are nothing. And yet, He loves us so immensely that He gave His only Son to save us and bring us into communion with Himself. This realization, driven by faith, leads us directly to humility.

The word “humility” comes from the Latin humus, meaning “soil” or “ground.” It is the realization that we are nothing and undeserving—we are, in a sense, “dirt.” Yet, God loves us unconditionally. Humility places faith in its proper context, reminding us that even our faith is a gift from God.

In fact, faith without humility is dangerous. Satan and the evil spirits have a kind of “faith”—they know with certainty that God exists and that they owe their power to Him. But without humility, they refuse to obey and serve. Ultimately, they fall.

Without humility, we risk self-deception. We might think our “great faith” makes us superior to others. While the gifts of faith are real, they can trap us into pride. Without humility, we may also treat faith as a bargaining chip, believing that if we have enough, we can control God to get what we want.

With humility, however, faith truly saves. We receive baptism from the Church and this act of humility means recognizing salvation as a gratuitous, unmerited God’s gift. We receive Holy Communion from the priest’s hand, and this act of humility means acknowledging that we need God to feed our hungry, weak souls. We Confess to God’s representative, and this act of humility means accepting that however broken we are, God still loves us and wants to heal us. Humility allows our faith to move us to love God deeply, as we fully recognize the abundance of His love for us.

Rome
Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Guide Questions

  1. How do we understand faith? Is it a belief in the truth about God? An emotional attachment? Or a commitment to live according to His will?
  2. How do we understand humility? Is it simply a lack of self-confidence? Or is it the profound realization of God’s immense love for us, even in our smallness?

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