Have faith

Father, grant me the power to be a positive force in the lives of those around me.

1 Kings 8:1-7,9-13 Psalm 132:6-7,8-10 Mark 6:53-56

During a missionary retreat, I accompanied our parish priest to a beautiful but concealed provincial village. This priest was someone I had always admired for his simplicity and his desire to help the less fortunate.

As soon as we arrived, a swarm of young children greeted us with excitement. It came as a shock to see so many people waiting for us – men and women, old and young, many of whom were either sick, hungry, or carrying young babies in their arms.

One by one, our parish priest patiently greeted them, laid his hand on their foreheads, and said a deep, personal prayer. When the last villager had been attended to, I couldn’t keep my questions to myself. “All of them believe that you can heal their pains and create miracles for them. With that level of blind faith, what will stop others from taking advantage of them?” He shook his head. “You are the one who needs to have more faith in their judgment. They turn to prayer because it uplifts their spirits and it shows them that there are others who care about their suffering. Words of hope are what strengthen and heal them. It is our natural instinct to move towards kindness, and if we show them otherwise, trust that they will know when to deny evil.”