9 August, Saturday — Little Faith, Big God

Aug 9 – Memorial for St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), martyr

After witnessing the strength of faith of Catholic friends, Teresa (1891-1942), originally a Jew, became interested in Catholicism and studied a catechism on her own, and she eventually ended up ‘reading herself into’ the Faith.

She became a Carmelite nun, teaching and lecturing at two schools. However, anti-Jewish pressure from the Nazis forced her to resign both positions. She was smuggled out of Germany and assigned to Holland. When the Nazis invaded Holland, she and her sister Rose, also a convert to Catholicism, were captured and sent to the concentration camp at Auschwitz where they died in the ovens, like so many others.

• Patron Saint Index

Deu 6:4-13
Mt 17:14-20

“…if your faith were the size of a mustard seed…nothing would be impossible for you.”

Brothers and sisters, it does not take much. That is what Jesus tells us. Just a mustard seed. Just enough faith to say to a mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will obey. Nothing will be impossible for you.

Yet on most days, it does not feel that way. Faith — even the size of a mustard seed, can feel elusive. Buried beneath fear, fatigue, or uncertainty, it often seems just out of reach.

Perhaps what brings it into view is something closer to home. Picture a child learning to walk. Not a confident run. Not even a steady stride. Just one small, uncertain step, the kind where the child teeters between falling and trusting, arms reaching out, eyes fixed on a parent only a few steps away. There is something sacred in that moment. Not because the child is strong or sure, but because the trust is real. The child moves not from certainty, but from relationship. Not from understanding, but from the assurance of who is waiting.

That is faith. Not having everything figured out. Not eliminating all doubt. But taking one step toward God, even without knowing how it will end.

In today’s Gospel, a father kneels before Jesus, pleading for the healing of his son. The disciples had tried and failed. Jesus responds, “You have so little faith.” These are not words of condemnation, but of invitation; a reminder that even the smallest seed of genuine faith can open the door to the impossible.

It is a truth we often forget — we may have little faith, but we have a big God. And that makes all the difference. The question is not, “Do I have enough faith?” Rather it is, “Am I willing to take the next step toward Him?” To pray again, even when I feel my prayers are unanswered. To hope again, even after heartbreak and disappointment. To trust that His arms are open, steady, and near.

For faith is not about the size of one’s strength. It is about the direction of one’s heart. And one small, imperfect step may be all it takes to begin moving the mountain.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Stacey Fernandez)

Prayer: Lord, give me the grace to take the next step toward You. Even when I feel uncertain, help me to trust that You are near. May my faith, however small, be real, and may it always move in Your direction.

Thanksgiving: Thank You, Lord, for meeting me in my weakness. Even when my steps are unsteady, You remain faithful. Amen.