1st Reading – Habakkuk 1:2-3, 2:2-4a
How long, O LORD? I cry for help
but you do not listen!
I cry out to you, “Violence!”
but you do not intervene.
Why do you let me see ruin;
why must I look at misery?
Destruction and violence are before me;
there is strife, and clamorous discord.
Then the LORD answered me and said:
Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets,
so that one can read it readily.
For the vision still has its time,
presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint;
if it delays, wait for it,
it will surely come, it will not be late.
The rash one has no integrity;
but the just one, because of his faith, shall live.
The Book of Habakkuk is one of the shorter prophetic writings, yet it grapples with some of the most profound questions of faith. The prophet gives voice to the anguish of the people while also listening for God’s response.
Habakkuk lived at a pivotal moment in Judah’s history, when the Babylonians had expanded their control across the Near East after their victory at Carchemish in 605 BC. These were perilous times; it seemed as though nothing could halt Babylon’s advance, and Judah’s survival was in serious jeopardy. In this context, we can better understand the urgency and poignancy of Habakkuk’s questions about justice, suffering, and God’s plan.
In today’s first reading, the prophet laments the burden of unchecked violence and injustice.
How long, O LORD? I cry for help but you do not listen!
The book opens with a startling lament: Habakkuk cries out in anguish at what seems to be God’s silence.
Questions like this may sound accusatory, but they are an act of faith. One does not cry to God unless one believes he can act.
A lament is not only grief but also hope, for it presumes that God will hear and respond.
I cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not intervene.
The prophet dares to name God’s apparent indifference to the suffering of his people. They suffer not only from violence but from what feels like God’s distance.
This outcry is a form of prayer — raw, honest, and heartfelt.
“I say to God simply what I want to say to Him, without using sweet words or beautiful phrases, and He always hears and understands me. […] For me, in times of suffering and in times of joy, prayer is an impulse of the heart, a glance up to heaven, an expression of gratitude and love” (Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Autobiographical Writings, 25).
Why do you let me see ruin; why must I look at misery?
The suffering around him seems to be more than he can handle, so he cries out: Why? Why do I have to be a witness to all of this?
Then the LORD answered me and said: Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets, so that one can read it readily.
God responds, not with an answer but with a vision. Though we are not told the content of the vision*, Habakkuk is instructed to write it on tablets, which accomplishes at least three things:
- The people may take comfort in it even before its fulfillment,
- It remains before their eyes as they wait, and
- Its eventual fulfillment will prove God’s word true.
* Many scholars believe the vision is a prophecy of Babylon’s downfall. Habakkuk 2:5-20 contains a series of woe oracles against oppressors (greed, violence, idolatry). These are sometimes viewed as the unfolding of the “vision” that Habakkuk is told to write down.
For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; if it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late.
God assures Habakkuk that his promises are certain.
The delay the people have been experiencing is not abandonment but part of God’s appointed time. His word will not fail (cf. Isaiah 55:10–11).
What seems to be chastisement is in fact medicinal, a correction meant to heal and restore his people.
God has acted justly, even though humanity finds it difficult to see it that way.
The rash man has no integrity; but the just man, because of his faith, shall live.
Here lies the heart of the message.
There are two ways of responding to suffering and delay: pride or faith. The “rash” person (uppelâ) is puffed up, self-reliant, and without uprightness. The “just” person (saddîq) endures in faith (ěmûnâ) — fidelity, trust, and steadfastness rooted in covenant loyalty.
This is not a shallow optimism but a profound theological truth. God has many fair-weather friends: those who are with him as long as everything goes their way. Real faith is proved by steadfast loyalty to God in times of adversity.
God calls his people not to demand answers but to remain faithful, trusting that his justice will prevail. For those who remain steadfast, sorrow will give way to joy in “the God of my salvation” (Habakkuk 3:18).
2nd Reading – 2 Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14
Beloved:
I remind you, to stir into flame
the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands.
For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice
but rather of power and love and self-control.
So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord,
nor of me, a prisoner for his sake;
but bear your share of hardship for the gospel
with the strength that comes from God.
Take as your norm the sound words that you heard from me,
in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Guard this rich trust with the help of the Holy Spirit
that dwells within us.
Last week we concluded our study of First Timothy; today we begin a four-week series from Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy.
As you recall, Timothy was a close coworker and spiritual son of Paul, who served as the first bishop of Ephesus. This second letter was written during Paul’s imprisonment in Rome shortly before his martyrdom in the year 67 AD. This letter is, therefore, his last.
Foreseeing his approaching end, Paul writes to Timothy to give him final instructions and encouragement.
Beloved: I remind you, to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands.
The laying on of hands is an ancient biblical practice, a sign of commissioning for ministry and the invocation of God’s Spirit (e.g., Genesis 48:13-15; Numbers 27:18-23; Acts 6:6, 8:17). In Timothy’s case, it marked his ordination and the reception of a charism for service in the Church.
The zeal that previously blazed within Timothy seems to have waned, and Paul challenges him to fan it back into flame. He received a particular charism on the occasion of his commission for ministry; this is the “gift of God” he must rekindle.
This serves as a reminder to us that faith is never definitively acquired; it must ceaselessly be reanimated.
“Paul urges Timothy to nurture his spirit with eagerness of mind, rejoicing in his faith, just as he once rejoiced in the newness of his ordination.” [The Ambrosiaster (between 366–384 AD), Commentary on the Second Letter to Timothy]
For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control.
Timothy, though steadfast, was less forceful than Paul. Paul reminds him that the Spirit he received is not one of fear, but of divine strength, charity, and discipline. These gifts equip him to witness boldly to the faith.
So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake;
Paul knows the real cost of publicly professing faith in Christ. Jesus Himself had been condemned by the authorities and executed as a criminal, and His followers likewise faced suspicion and persecution under Roman rule. Paul’s own imprisonment was the direct result of his preaching the Gospel.
In this context, he urges Timothy to bear witness without shame — neither ashamed of Christ nor of Paul in chains. Though others may see Paul merely as a prisoner of the state, Paul proclaims that he is, in truth, a prisoner of Christ. Far from disgrace, this is a mark of honor, and Timothy should take courage and pride in it.
but bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God.
Timothy must be willing to accept and embrace the suffering that will inevitably befall him as a minister of the gospel. He will face misunderstanding, resentment, hostility — and possibly imprisonment, like Paul.
Take as your norm the sound words that you heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Paul entrusted Timothy with the core of the apostolic teaching. Timothy’s task is to hold fast to it — not as a rigid repetition, but as a faithful handing-on that remains true while being expressed afresh in new contexts.
This balance of fidelity and creativity continues to mark authentic ministry in the Church.
Guard this rich trust with the help of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us.
One main theme of both of Paul’s letters to Timothy is “guard the trust.” Paul is exhorting the bishop of Ephesus to protect the community from false teaching and preserve the gospel message as it is being handed down.
God is able to preserve the entire content of Christian teaching (both written and oral). “What is it ‘that you heard from me’? The faith, the preaching of the gospel. God, who committed this to us, will preserve it unimpaired. I suffer everything, that I may not be despoiled of this treasure. I am not ashamed of these things, so long as the faith is preserved uninjured.” [Saint John Chrysostom (between 393–397 AD), Homilies on the Second Epistle to Timothy 2]
Gospel – Luke 17:5-10
The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
The Lord replied,
“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you would say to this mulberry tree,
‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
“Who among you would say to your servant
who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field,
‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’?
Would he not rather say to him,
‘Prepare something for me to eat.
Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink.
You may eat and drink when I am finished’?
Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?
So should it be with you.
When you have done all you have been commanded,
say, ‘We are unprofitable servants;
we have done what we were obliged to do.’”
Today’s gospel reading continues Luke’s account of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem. Over the past several weeks, we have heard Jesus’ teachings on discipleship: the call to take up the cross, to renounce possessions, to seek out the lost, and to live with mercy and vigilance.
In today’s passage, the apostles ask Jesus to increase their faith.
The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
This request is the apostles’ response to Jesus’ command to forgive without limit. In the verse immediately preceding this passage, he told them that if their brother “wrongs you seven times in one day and returns to you seven times saying ‘I am sorry,’ you should forgive him” (Luke 17:4).
The apostles recognize that such radical forgiveness surpasses natural human capability. They realize they cannot live this teaching without God’s help, so they beg for faith.
The Lord replied, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
As is so often the case, Jesus’ response includes a shift in perspective. The apostles ask for more faith, but Jesus responds by speaking of faith’s power.
Even the smallest seed of authentic faith can accomplish what seems humanly impossible: uprooting the deep roots of a mulberry tree.
What matters is not the quantity of faith — one should be concerned to secure even a small amount of genuine faith.
“Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’? Would he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished’?
Jesus then turns to the image of a servant fulfilling his duties. The point is not that the master is callous, but that service is expected of the servant.
Similarly, disciples are called to serve God without seeking praise or reward.
Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’”
Disciples of Jesus should expect a similar lot. They have been called to labor, and when they fulfill their duties faithfully, they have only done what is required of them.
This doesn’t mean disciples are worthless or should lack self-respect. Rather, he is encouraging them to have an attitude of service rather than an attitude of pride.
God gains nothing from our service — he is perfect and needs nothing. Nor can we earn his love, for it is a pure gift. We are “unprofitable” in the sense that our good works do not add to God’s glory or purchase his favor. Instead, our service is the fitting response of gratitude to a God who has first loved us. When we serve in this way, our hearts are filled with love and gratitude, not pride or self-righteousness.
Taken together, these teachings form two sides of one truth: With faith we can do anything, but we are unprofitable servants and must continue to labor until the end.
Connections and Themes
The gift of faith. Faith is not something we achieve or possess by merit; it is a pure gift from God. Habakkuk shows us that “the just one, because of his faith, shall live,” not by personal strength, but by trusting in God’s promise even when his presence feels hidden. Paul tells Timothy to “stir into flame the gift of God,” reminding us that faith is entrusted to us by the Spirit and must be guarded with humility. And in the Gospel, when the apostles beg, “Increase our faith,” Jesus teaches that even faith the size of a mustard seed can accomplish the impossible. Yet he immediately reminds them that they are “unprofitable servants,” who cannot lay claim to faith as their own achievement or demand reward. These readings together reveal that faith is God’s generous gift, received by unworthy servants who can only respond with gratitude, trust, and obedience.
When God seems silent. Every believer, at some point, encounters the ache of God’s apparent absence. Habakkuk gives voice to this cry: How long, O Lord? Why? His words echo our own anguish when prayers seem to go unanswered and injustice prevails unchecked. The prophet is told to wait patiently, for God’s vision “presses on to fulfillment,” even if it seems delayed. Paul, writing to Timothy, reminds him that such moments of trial are not signs of abandonment but occasions to draw strength from “the Spirit of power, love, and self-control” entrusted to us. And in the Gospel, the apostles ask Jesus for more faith — not faith that eliminates the struggle, but faith that sustains them when obedience feels impossible and God’s nearness elusive.
These readings together teach us that God’s silence is not a sign of his absence. Even when the waiting feels unbearably long, faith anchors us in the certainty that he has not abandoned his people. Our task is not to measure God’s timetable, but to cling to him in trust, even with faith as small as a mustard seed.
Sunday Readings 