"Increase Our Faith"

Dear Cathedral Family,

“Increase our faith!” This is the opening plea of the apostles in this Sunday’s Gospel, and it is a plea that we all feel at times in our lives. Jesus responds by saying that every one of them has been given enough faith to do the work they are asked to do, no matter how demanding, even if that “enough” faith is no bigger that the smallest seed.

Faith is not a commodity. It can’t be produced or invested or traded. It is a powerful gift, implanted in each of us by God and dependent for its strength on our use of it. When Paul writes to his young colleague Timothy in our epistle, he reminds him of the gift of faith that his mother and grandmother have passed along, and Paul reminds him to rekindle the gift of faith given to him also in the laying on of hands through intentional practice of love and exercise of self-discipline.

This Sunday we will participate in God’s gifting of faith to young Martin Ward in his baptism. The joy that we feel at baptisms is perhaps our clearest indication that we know a gift is being given, not only to Martin but to us all. We will promise to help him learn to use that gift, offering and passing along to him our own gifts of faith. It is a beautiful reciprocity among us, the Holy Spirit, Christ, and the loving, giving Father—and the newest member of the household of God.

Later Sunday afternoon, we will experience another aspect of joy and giftedness when we gather for the blessing of pets in the garden at 4 p.m. Our animal companions live with us in mutual love and dependence, and they bring us closer to knowing the deep connection we all share as interwoven aspects of God’s creation. St. Francis, whose feast day is Saturday, October 4, understood that connection and the delight and fullness of life found in living within it.

I hope to see many of you in both of our celebrations this Sunday.

Faithfully,

Beverly+