Editorial

Lord, lead us to build a culture of life built on faith, hope and love

The Apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” The Lord 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 17:5-6).

Lord, increase our faith.

That plea from the Apostles in last weekend’s Gospel from St. Luke offers us a lesson worth emulating as we seek Christ’s assistance on our journey as missionary disciples. As we continue our observance of Respect Life Month, wouldn’t it make sense to begin each day with that heartfelt prayer?

What’s more, why couldn’t that simple petition be part of our life on every day of our pilgrimage of faith?

We see there is so much to pray for in our chaotic world. We keep family, friends, co-workers and others who have asked for our prayers at the top of our list. May we always remember them. We pray: Lord, increase our faith.

But we learn daily of so many others around the U.S. and the globe who need petitions as well.

Recent victims of a tragic church shooting involving school children in Minnesota, and a shooting and arson fire set at a place of worship in Michigan.

The assassination of a husband and father of two young children living out what he believed was his call to discipleship.

A terror attack outside a packed synagogue in the United Kingdom on Yom Kippur—the holiest day in the Jewish calendar—that left two dead and four wounded.

The ongoing Ukrainian and Russian conflict.

A 6.9-magnitude earthquake in the Philippines that resulted in at least 72 dead and hundreds injured.

If we scour the headlines, we realize the list could go on and on. We pray: Lord, increase our faith.

But there are countless others who need our assistance, and it goes beyond our prayers.

We learn at a young age that “actions speak louder than words,” and many of us were encouraged to be people who were unafraid to get their hands dirty when it came to serving our brethren.

Our faith reminds us we are our brothers and sisters’ keepers. And Jesus himself tells us in Scripture, in the corporal works of mercy, that we should tend to the physical needs of others.

In chapter 25 of the Gospel of Matthew, we are called to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick, and ransom the captive (visit the imprisoned). The last corporal work of mercy, burying the dead, comes from the Book of Tobit (Tb 1:16-18)

As disciples called to be the hands and feet of Christ to our brothers and sisters in need, let us never forget this charge. We pray: Lord, increase our faith.

The spiritual works of mercy have also long been a part of the Christian tradition, appearing in Scripture, the works of theologians and spiritual writers throughout history. Just as Jesus attended to the spiritual well-being of those he ministered to, the spiritual works of mercy, as we read in the United States Catholic Catechism of the Adults, guide us to “help our neighbor in their spiritual needs.”

Let us remember our call: to instruct the ignorant, counsel the doubtful, admonish sinners, comfort the sorrowful, forgive injuries, bear wrongs patiently, and pray for the living and the dead.

In our vocation as missionary disciples, may we see Christ in our neighbor and all who cross our path. We pray: Lord, increase our faith.

Respect Life Month reminds us each October of our call as children of God to respect all human life, from conception to natural death.

In the world we live in today, too many have little or no faith and allow evil to envelop their world, which, too often, leads to tragic consequences.

Let us pray that light overcomes that darkness, and that each of us develops a stronger commitment to building a culture of life centered on faith, hope and love.

We pray: Lord, increase our faith.

—Mike Krokos