October 5, 2025
Habakkuk 1: 2-3, 2: 2-4 + Psalm 95 + 2 Timothy 1: 6-8, 13-14 + Luke 17: 5-10
I wonder as I stand here how many of you might remember something those of us who were born into the Catholic Church learned back in the day. First, we learned the Ten Commandments. There will not be test this morning, but I wonder how many could really pass that test. We could probably get them all, but maybe not in the order in which we first learned them. Then, I’m not certain about you, but right after we learned the Ten Commandments, we learned the Six Commandments of the Church, at least I did. Sometimes, so as not to compete with the Ten, they were called “Precepts.” There were six minimum obligations for Catholics to live according to Church laws.
These included (1) attending Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, (2) Confessing sins at least once a year, (3) Receiving the Holy Eucharist during the Easter Time, (4) Observing days of fasting and abstinence, (5) Contributing to the support of the Church, (6) and not celebrating marriage during Lent or with close relatives. Now, don’t be impressed. I had to look them up to get it right.
All of that stuff comes from a focus on an institution, and changes in time and practices have influenced how we interpret all of this. For instance, when strict fasting before Communion was expected, many people simply avoided Holy Communion and were therefore encouraged to receive Holy Communion at least once a year. If there was no priest nearby, at least once every year the faithful were encouraged to seek one for Confession and Communion. All well and good and an interesting piece of history.
This all came to mind weeks ago as I was thinking and praying my way into this Sunday’s Gospel. What we have here is the last two parts of a four-part instruction to the disciples. Jesus has interrupted a conversation with the Pharisees to offer instructions on faithful discipleship to his closest followers. That’s us.
The first two of four parts are not included in today’s proclamation, but you might go home and take a look at the first five verses we did not hear today. It seems that Luke has pulled four bits of tradition together to stop a perception that being a follower of Jesus Christ is to enjoy special privileges and status. You get that point in the last of these examples about the relationship between the servant and the master. We don’t get any privilege.
With the cry of the disciples, “Increase our faith” Jesus assures any struggling believer that faith is not a quantitative commodity. It is a matter of sincere trust in the promises of God. It is never about how much. It is simply about remembering who God is and what God has promised. It’s not about what we do. It is about what God does.
What we get here today is what discipleship requires, sort of like the Six precepts that tell what being a Catholic requires, and what we get here comes first. In every community there are expectations and obligation just as in any household or social system. What we can draw from the beginning of Chapter 17 is that disciples must live exemplary lives – in other words, give good example. They must offer unlimited forgiveness to those who repent, and constantly grow deeper in faith more and more trusting in God’s promises. All of this is a tall order for frail, imperfect human beings like us, but God in Christ has shown us what it means to do as God commands. Here, it is not ten or six, only of four: (1) live responsibly, (2) forgive generously, (3) believe trustingly, (4) and follow obediently. When we do so, we shall find the best blessings of this life with God for ourselves and for the community of God’s people.