In our brain, there is an almondshaped part known as the amygdala. It’s in charge of signaling either the fight or flight response. So, any time we’re in danger, it tells us, “Be on guard. Run if you have to.” It’s for our protection. 

The problem with the amygdala is that it’s not objective. It needs help from another God-given part of our brain, the prefrontal cortex. This is the logical part of the brain. So, if there’s noise at night, the amygdala screams, “Danger!” The prefrontal cortex says, “It’s probably just a cat.” The amygdala is all panic. The prefrontal cortex is all logic. 

From a spiritual-scientific standpoint, when we pray, we let our prefrontal cortex grab the amygdala and say, “Quit being irrational. We’re surrendering this to God.” So, when irrational fears start to run wild, take it captive in prayer, and make it obedient to Christ. Let the Holy Spirit direct your thoughts. 

The Spirit within us is a Spirit of power, love, and of a sound mind. With the Spirit, we live in faith, not in fear. 

Mike Viñas (mikemichaelfcv@yahoo.com)

reflect

Evil borrows its power from fear. Listen to “Faith Above Fear” by Feast Worship on YouTube, Spotify, or where you stream music. 

Lord, I bring before You thoughts that cause me fear and anxiety. I take captive every thought to make it obedient to You. Amen

St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, virgin, pray for us.

First Reading | Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4

God assures Habbakuk, and in turn, Habbakuk assures the people that God sees what is going on in their lives and that justice is forthcoming. He reminds the people to reflect on their vision as the chosen people of God. Herein lies the measure of God’s judgment, namely that we will be judged according to our willingness to take up our responsibilities as His sons and daughters. The same is true today as it was 2,500 years ago.

² How long, O Lord? I cry for help but you do not listen! I cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not intervene. ³ 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. ^2:2 Then the Lord answered me and said: Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets, so that one can read it readily. ³ 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. ⁴ The rash man has no integrity; but the just one, because of his faith, shall live.

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9

R: If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

¹ Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord; let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation. ² Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us joyfully sing psalm to him. (R) ⁶ Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the Lord who made us. ⁷ For he is our God, and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides. (R) ⁸ Oh, that today you would hear his voice: “Harden not your hearts as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the desert, ⁹ where your fathers tempted me; they tested me though they had seen my works.” (R) 

Second Reading | 2 Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14

Use the gifts that God has given you to build His Kingdom. This is our calling as disciples of Jesus. Look to the Church traditions, follow their wisdom, and you will not be disappointed. The message of the Gospel never changes. Let us adapt it to the culture of the present age without compromising its message.

 ⁶ Beloved: I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. ⁷ For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. ⁸ 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. ¹³ Take as your norm the sound words that you heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴ Guard this rich trust with the help of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us.  

Gospel | Luke 17:5-10

When Jesus tells His Apostles that it is not the size of their faith that matters, He means that it is the quality of our faith that counts. Because faith in the size of a mustard seed can move mountains. Do we really trust in God for all that we need, or are we still self-sufficient in many things? Have we truly surrendered to the will of God, or do we still insist on our own will? Your answers will indicate the depth of your faith. Let us seek to grow in depth, not in size.

Gospel Acclamation 

The word of the Lord remains forever. This is the word that has been proclaimed to you. 

⁵ The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” ⁶ 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. ⁷ “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’? ⁸ 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’? ⁹ Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? ¹⁰ 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.’”

Reflect:

How can you deepen your faith in the Lord?

Read the Bible in one year! Read HOSEA 1 - 5 today.

Faith and Humility 

At the funeral of Queen Elizabeth, before her coffin was lowered, her Imperial State Crown, the Orb, and the Scepter were moved from the top of her coffin to the altar. While all her valuables were also removed from her, the Archbishop of Canterbury made a pronouncement: “Now let us remove all symbols of power from the coffin, so that our sister Elizabeth can be committed to the grave as a simple Christian.”

In other words, Elizabeth, who ruled as Queen of the United Kingdom and its thirty-two sovereign states for almost seventy-one years, was buried with nothing. At the end of her life, she was no longer a queen, but a “sister in Christ” going back to her Creator, to the real Kingdom in heaven.

Today’s readings focus on humility, telling us that there is nothing we can brag about in front of God; that in the end, we are mere slaves and servants who are to follow and do our duties here on earth. Our life, intelligence, wealth, and positions all came from God, and it is He who can take all these away in an instant. 

Knowing this gives us proper disposition, as it is also from humility that faith springs forth. The Gospel also tells us that God needs just a small faith—the size of a mustard seed—for Him to be able to work in our life. All that He needs is a little space in our heart to make magic and do great things. 

Therefore, having humility and faith in God is acknowledging that He is in charge of everything. In fact, even if the Gospel mentions how much faith is needed from us, it is whom we put our faith on that actually matters. 

Fr. Jason Laguerta

reflection question

How much faith in God is enough? 

Lord, please increase my faith, not for my glory, but for Yours. Amen.

Today, I pray for: _____________________________________