Dorothy Day, whom Pope Francis named as an exemplary American when he addressed the U.S. Congress, was the founder of The Catholic Worker—both the newspaper and the movement that still provides homes for street people and places of hospitality where the hungry and lonely are welcomed to share a meal. When she heard visitors to The Catholic Worker saying of her, “She is a saint,” she would respond, “You only say that I am a saint to convince yourself that you are different from me, that you are not able to do the things I do. I am not different from you. You could do what I do.”
In an episode described in Luke’s Gospel, (Luke 17:5-10), the apostles came to Jesus and said, “Increase our faith,” implying that their faith at the moment was so small that they could not do the acts Jesus required of them. Jesus, in response to their request, neither promised nor gave them any more faith. He told them, in effect, “Start with the little you have, and you will accomplish all you want.”
Jesus exposed in them, as he unmasks in us, one way in which we avoid our responsibilities as committed Christians or what Pope Francis calls “missionary disciples.” We can’t pray, because we don’t have enough faith; we can’t be charitable and reach out to the poor, because we are too busy; we can’t be advocates for justice and work for social change, because we feel overwhelmed and powerless; we cannot forgive, because we are too hurt, and so on.
Jesus objects, “Don’t speak like that. Work with what you have. Even if your faith is like the tiniest of seeds—a mustard seed that grows into a large bush—you will work wonders.”
Dorothy Day was an atheist who became a Catholic at age 30. When she chose to follow Christ as a Catholic, she took her small seed of faith and said yes to missionary discipleship—to living a life totally dedicated to Christ and to being a fierce advocate for the poor. Today there are more than 200 Catholic Worker communities serving the poor and working for justice. Her mustard-seed faith grew into a large bush.
Jesus’ message is clear to us today—mustard-seed faith is enough. You do not need any more faith than you have. Use the faith you have, and it will continue to grow as you continue to answer the call to be a missionary disciple.
Sr. Terry Rickard is the Executive Director of RENEW International and a Dominican Sister from Blauvelt, NY.