Daily Gospel Reflection for August 9, 2025

Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.

Today's Gospel: Matthew 17:14-20

Settling into prayer, I noticed the increasingly familiar sense of anxiety. I worried about my children as they moved into young adulthood. I also worried about the demands of my husband’s job and the toll it was taking on him. My own health issues were flaring up again, too, which added another layer of worry to my weary heart. A lot was going on in life, and very little of it was in my control.

As I sat in prayer, I wondered how the Lord would respond to my tendency toward worry and anxiety. Doesn’t He ask for my trust? Don’t I trust Him?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus was frustrated with the faithlessness of His disciples. They were unable to cure the young man who was possessed because of their “little faith.”

But just because Jesus called them out for their lack of faith, does not mean He dwelt on it. Rather, He moved into encouraging faith in them.

“Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

The same is true for us.

The Lord does not want us to lack faith in Him. He wants our trust, because He loves us beyond our wildest imagination. And when we trust the Lord with even the smallest amount of faith, He will graciously accept it and even multiply it in our lives. With confidence in His help, even the things that are out of our control will not seem so impossible; they will not overcome us. Because our faith will, indeed, move mountains.

Ponder:

Is there an area in my life where I need more faith in God?

Pray:

Lord, thank You for showing me where I have little faith. I offer my mustard seed-sized faith to You with hope that You will help it to grow.

Copyright 2025 Sarah Damm