Open up to the surroundings! 

Opening oneself to God and accepting God into one’s life is not only a step forward for every person but often a kilometer, a mile…

Let’s realize Jesus’ challenge: “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed” (Lk 17:6).  Jesus had compassion for the suffering. The sick need help. God likes it when we ask him for ourselves and those who suffer in our surroundings. When we are ill and others care about us, let us be led to Jesus. When our faith is as tiny as a grain of mustard seed, why not entrust ourselves entirely and entirely to Jesus? Jesus rightly asks a Christian to want to open up to him, to be able to open up to him, to hear His words and talk about him. He says that if we believe Jesus has power, why not seek him? If our faith is as tiny as a mustard seed, why not trust Jesus completely?

Let’s ask ourselves what kind of Christian am I? At first glance, today’s man appears as a sovereign who is self-sufficient with his reason. But is it so? Let’s look closer at our lives because we, too,? Do are “children of this age”. How often do we turn to different horoscopes? Do we believe in folk superstitions?! All this is a substitute for the true and living faith that we lack.

The apostles begged Jesus: “Strengthen our faith” (Lk 17:5). This happened after he presented two essential requirements: that they should not offend anyone and that they should forgive their brothers and sisters without limit. The disciples saw and recognized that they didn’t have enough strength for that. Their faith was in crisis at that moment. They could have reacted by fleeing cowardly, but they wanted to stay with Jesus and fulfill his demands. That’s why they asked for the gift of faith. Jesus’ reaction is interesting. As if he wanted to tell them that their faith is worthless if they are not convinced that God can do all things for them.

What is our faith? Do I believe that God can do what I ask Him to do? We say about ourselves that we are `believers.’ Is it a fact or an excellent title that can also be an empty label on our person? By faith, we not only believe that God exists and that what he has revealed to us about himself is true. She must intervene in our whole life. Through faith, we direct our actions and thoughts towards God. We know his requirements and live according to them. Like the disciples, it may seem Jesus is asking the almost impossible. Sure, we can’t do it alone. But let’s look at God. He is omnipotent, after all. Everything is possible for him. He knows best what is good for us and what will benefit us. What he asks of us is for our good. God does not want our suffering. He offers us a whole life.

The well-known spiritual author Josemaría Escrivá professes his knowledge of the value of “living in faith.” “What is the difference between people without faith, sad and indecisive about their meaningless existence, subject to changing circumstances like a wind rose, and our life as Christians, full of hope, joy, and strength, because we know and are convinced of our supernatural destiny.”

Let’s not let our faith be taken away. She is a great treasure; without her, life can cease to have meaning. We complicated draw on faith even when living according to the Gospel seems difficult. Jesus promised that if we ask the Father for something with faith, we will receive it from him, and he will take care of us. Thus, only firm and unshakable faith in God will keep us on the right path and lead us safely to God. Knowing how to listen to God’s word to open oneself to God’s word is essential for our life. We hear God speaking through other events, painful and pleasant… We must listen. To open ourselves to the words that God wants to give us.

A priest came to the parish, and the parishioners liked his first sermon so much that they talked about it all week. The following Sunday, however, the priest gave the same sermon. The faithful smiled that the priest must have forgotten. They didn’t like the sermon anymore. When he preached the same sermon the following Sunday, the parishioners were already waiting for him after the mass and told him why he was still preaching the same sermon. And do you know what the priest said to them in pride? “Why should I give a second sermon if you don’t change your life…?” Yes, they did not open themselves to God’s word. They remained deaf to God’s word.

God’s word is not spoken for the beauty of words but for the quality of our salvation.