Matthew 17,14-20

August 12, 2023(Saturday)
Let us all remember that we are in the Holy Presence of God.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Gospel Matthew 17,14-20
When they came to the crowd, a man came to him, knelt before him, and said, “Lord, have mercy on my
son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly; he often falls into the fire and often into the water. And I
brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.” Jesus answered, “You faithless and perverse
generation, how much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here
to me.” And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly. Then the
disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” He said to them, “Because of
your little faith. For truly I tell 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; and nothing will be impossible for you.”

Reflection:
Do I frustrate Lord Jesus? Everyone’s thoughts are being troubled by this query from the gospel of today. I
will respond with “YES”. The limited faith of the apostles in the face of adversity is a reflection of our own
capacity for faith. The section from today’s scripture also helps us ponder a variety of additional topics,
such as the Lord’s annoyance, the apostles’ meager faith, his unending kindness, and his inspirational
statement on moving mountains even with faith the size of a mustard seed. De La Salle also taught us the
need of having a faith-based perspective, acting with God in mind, and attributing everything to Him. In his
letter, he keeps reassuring his Brothers that they need not become discouraged when they find it difficult to
deal with the children and other challenges they face while on mission. In two of his meditations, De La
Salle offers two further resolutions: (1) Meditation 99.2: “Preach by example, and practice before the eyes
of the young what you wish them to accept,” and (2) Meditation 196.1. “When you encounter some
difficulty in the guidance of your disciples, turn to God with confidence.”The resolves of De La Salle assist
us in responding to the various issues pondered above and in growing more deeply in our trust in the Lord
Jesus. (Br. Brickston Fernandon, FSC)

Lasallian Guiding Principle:
LGP states that, the spirit of faith is a “spirit that allows one to discover God’s active presence in his Word,
in men and women, in the poor, in nature, in history, and in ourselves.” As Lasallians we should be the
living presence of God’s blessing for our brothers and sister. We should allow ourselves to be His
instrument for the good and wellness of our neighbors.

Prayer:
Synod on Synodality Prayer

We stand before You, Holy Spirit, as we gather together in Your name.
With You alone to guide us, Make Yourself at home in our hearts;
Teach us the way we must go and how we are to pursue it.
We are weak and sinful; do not let us promote disorder.
Do not let ignorance lead us down the wrong path nor partiality influence our actions.
Let us find in You our unity so that we may journey together to eternal life and not stray from the way of truth and what is right.
All this we ask of You, who are at work in every place and time, in the communion of the Father and the Son, forever and ever. Amen.

St. John Baptist de La Salle, pray for us.

St. Miguel Febres Cordero, pray for us.
Live Jesus in our hearts, forever!

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sources:
C. (n.d.). Daily Gospel. Retrieved June 22, 2020, from https://dailygospel.org/M/AM/DLSU ITS, DLSU STRATCOM, DLSU IRPA. (n.d.). Guiding Principles of the Philippine Lasallian Family.
Retrieved June 22, 2020, from http://www.dlsu.edu.ph/inside/lasallian-guiding-principles/default.asp

Prepared by Pratik, Sati D., College of Humanities and Sciences- BS Biochemistry Student, through the DLSMHSI Lasallian Mission and Linkages and Advancement, Campus Ministry, and Chaplaincy

Our Daily Lasallian Gospel, Prayer and Reflection is a DLSMHSI gift to the Lasallian family for the 2019 Celebration of the Year of Vocation and the Tercentenary celebration of the death of our founder SJBDLS.

https://www.dlshsi.edu.ph/daily-lasallian-reflection-prayer #300LaSalle