August 7, Saturday Weekday

You forsake not those who seek you, O Lord. — Psalm 9:11

Mass Readings: Habakkuk 1:12–2:4 / Matthew 17:14-20

On the Range 

I’ve lived in the Pacific Northwest all my life, with the Olympic Mountains to the west and the Cascade Mountains to the east. So when Jesus talks about faith moving a mountain, I imagine it in the middle of a mountain range. And that means . . . . 

Even though I don’t have enough faith to move a mountain, if I use my less-than-mustard-seed size faith the result can be amazing. It can affect the whole chain, just like when the volcano Mount St. Helens — which is in the Cascades — erupted in 1980! Yes, my faith is personal, between God and me. But it’s also communal. I can bravely use it to help others, or give in to fear and self-doubt and miss God-given opportunities to touch many lives. 

Prayer: Father in heaven, thank you for the gifts of faith, of hope, and of love