Homily – 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (2025)

Scroll Down for the Children’s Liturgy Questions

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Word of God speaks to us about one of the most important gifts in the Christian life: faith. Faith is what keeps us going when life feels heavy, when our prayers seem unanswered, or when we do not understand what God is doing. Faith is small, like a seed, but it has power to grow and change our lives completely.

First Reading: Habakkuk 1:2–3; 2:2–4; The prophet Habakkuk cried out to God: “How long, O Lord? I cry for help but You do not listen?” He was troubled by the violence and suffering around him. God answered him: “But the just one, because of his faith, shall live.”
This means that even when the world is dark, faith is the light that keeps us alive.

Second Reading: 2 Timothy 1:6–8, 13–14; St. Paul encourages Timothy: “Stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands.” He tells Timothy not to be afraid, because the Spirit God gave us is not one of fear, but of power, love, and self-control. This is a reminder for us: we all received the gift of faith at Baptism. We must keep it alive, not let it sleep, and not be ashamed to live as Christians.

Gospel: Luke 17:5–10. The apostles asked Jesus, “Increase our faith!” And Jesus replied, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” Jesus shows us that faith is powerful, even if it is very small. What matters is not the size of our faith, but trusting God completely. Jesus also teaches us to remain humble. Even after doing God’s work, we should say, “We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.                                                                                                                                                                 

Brothers and sisters, how often do we feel like Habakkuk, asking: “Lord, where are You? Why don’t You answer?” Maybe in sickness, family struggles, financial hardship, or the pain of losing someone we love. But today God reminds us: the righteous shall live by faith. Faith is not about having everything explained. Faith is trusting God even when we don’t see the whole picture. A tiny seed of faith can move the mountains of fear, doubt, and despair in our lives.

Think of a child who holds the hand of their parent while crossing a busy street. The child may not understand the dangers around, but he feels safe because he trusts the one holding his hand. That is what faith is: holding God’s hand and walking with Him, even when we don’t see what lies ahead.

So today, let us pray with the apostles: “Lord, increase our faith!” May we hold on to God in the middle of trials. May we keep the gift of faith alive, not with fear, but with courage, love, and hope. And when we serve God—through our prayers, our kindness, our forgiveness, and our sacrifices—let us remain humble servants, knowing that all we do is for the glory of God.

My brothers and sisters, never forget: faith may be as small as a mustard seed, but with God, that seed can grow into a tree that gives shade, strength, and life.

Children’s Liturgy Questions

20 questions with answers (Yes or No) from Luke 17:5–10).

Questions and Answers

1. Did the apostles ask Jesus to increase their faith? Yes
2. Did Jesus say they needed a lot of faith to do great things? No
3. Did Jesus say that even faith as small as a mustard seed has power? Yes
4. Did Jesus say they could tell a tree to be planted in the sea? Yes
5. Would the tree obey if they had faith? Yes
6. Did Jesus say faith depends on how big we are? No
7. Did Jesus compare faith to a mustard seed? Yes
8. Did the apostles ask for more money instead of more faith? No
9. Did Jesus say faith is about trusting God? Yes
10. Did Jesus tell them they were masters and not servants? No
11. Did Jesus say, “When you have done all you were told, say, ‘We are servants’”? Yes
12. Did Jesus teach them to be proud of their good works? No
13. Did Jesus want His followers to be humble? Yes
14. Did Jesus say faith could move mountains in this Gospel? No
15. Did Jesus say a servant should expect thanks for doing his duty? No
16. Did Jesus say we should do our duty to God with love? Yes
17. Did Jesus want us to believe that even little faith is powerful? Yes
18. Did Jesus say the apostles already had enough faith? No
19. Did Jesus want them to understand that God gives the strength? Yes
20. Did Jesus teach that we serve for God’s glory, not our own? Yes