Franciscan Friar Fr. Paul Gallagher reflects on the Gospel readings for the Twenty-seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time. Do you ever struggle to believe, to trust, to have faith?
The content is edited by Franciscan Sister of Christian Charity Sister Anne Marie Lom and Joe Thiel. The excerpts from the Sunday readings are prepared by Joe Thiel. To read or download the complete pdf with excerpts for your prayer, please click here: Franciscan Gospel Reflection October 5 2025. Excerpts are from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner. Photo: Pancrat, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons; Jules & Jenny from Lincoln, UK, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.
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.’”
Background:
Last week the church reflected on the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. There are four verses between that text and the Gospel for this Sunday. In those four verses, Jesus addresses the disciples about the inevitability of sin. Despite sin’s inevitability, its consequences are still tragic, especially if it leads others to sin. Therefore, Jesus urges the disciples to confront the sinner so that he can turn away from the sin. But the one who falls and then asks forgiveness should be forgiven, seven times a day if need be. Following those teachings, Jesus addresses his disciples with the instruction that is the Gospel for our reflection this week.
The Gospel contains two instructions. The first is about faith that might be better understood as loyalty. The apostles ask for an increase in faith. Jesus’ response is more about the quality of faith than the quantity. The seed of the mustard tree seed is very small but the tree has an extensive root system that makes it hardy and difficult to transplant. With this image Jesus is instructing the apostles that even a small bit of faith is sufficient to have a great impact.
The second teaching is centered on the role of a single house servant as a model for discipleship. Family servants were common in the time of Jesus. Even a poor family would have one servant who performed multiple tasks, working in the fields, caring for the house, and preparing meals. At the time of Jesus, the poorest families would give one or two of their children to another family as a servant so that the child might have sufficient food.
In order for us to hear Jesus’ instruction to his disciples in way that will be meaningful, the reader may need to be aware of our cultural biases. Most of us would struggle to think of a world where parents would give their children to another as servants so that they would have sufficient food. Equally troubling may be the thought of a master who would require a person who has labored in fields all day to then come in and cook and serve a meal. As disturbing as that thought might be, these practices existed in the time of Jesus, and also in many parts of our world today.
In today’s Gospel the disciples ask for an increase in faith. Jesus responds to their request with a short parable that is centered in their common experience of a house slave and how that servant should look upon her/his life as a servant. “We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.” If our efforts only bring with them that we are unprofitable servants, then we must rely on the great love of our God.
Discussion Questions:
- Do you ever struggle to believe, to trust, to have faith?
- To what would you compare your faith? What would be a good symbol?
- What are the things you considered as you examined your faith? (personal prayer/relationship with God, adherence to beliefs, faithful living of your commitments, living justly with others and creation, life after death, and other factors?)
- What impact has your faith had on you, and others?
- If you look at faith in terms of expression of loyalty, or how you live as a disciple, what happens within you?
- Do you ever find you get quantity confused with quality in your relationships?
- What do you think Jesus was trying to teach the disciples about their role as disciples?
- Can you take some time to talk with God about your awareness of your faith, your desire to be a faithful servant, or your awareness of God’s desire to be present to you and through you?
