Twenty-seventh Ordinary

Luke 17: 5 – 6a

The apostles came up and said to the Master, “Give us more faith.” But the Master said, “You don’t need more faith. There is no ‘more’ or ‘less’ in faith.”

If you’re working in a Catholic school right now, you know the world feels … noisy. There’s constant pressure to do more with less, teach more with fewer resources, and meet students’ academic, emotional, and spiritual needs all at once. It’s beautiful and exhausting at the same time.

So when the apostles cry out, “Give us more faith!” – doesn’t that sound like every teacher’s prayer at 7:30am on a Monday morning?

But Jesus’ answer is stunning. He doesn’t give a five-step plan for increasing faith. He simply says: you already have enough. Even the tiniest faith – a mustard seed – can do impossible things.

For educators, this is a bold invitation. You don’t need to have it all together. You don’t need perfect lesson plans, perfect patience, or perfect prayer life to make a holy impact. Jesus is saying: trust that what you already have is enough to transform lives.

Think about your classroom this week:

• Is there a student who pushes every button you have? Your mustard-seed faith can plant a seed of patience and understanding.
• Is your curriculum feeling heavy, dry, or uninspired? Your mustard-seed faith can reimagine it with creativity that points students to wonder.
• Is the school community tired or divided? Your mustard-seed faith can help create moments of joy and unity.

Faith doesn’t remove the challenges – it reframes them. It reminds you that you are not carrying the weight of this vocation alone. Christ is with you in every parent conference, every grading session, every morning prayer, every hallway conversation.

This week, take one area of your teaching that feels like a “mulberry tree” – something deeply rooted, heavy, maybe even immovable – and offer it to God. Don’t wait until your faith “feels” stronger. Pray with confidence that even a tiny act of trust can shift the ground beneath it. And then act. Speak hope over that situation. Choose one concrete step toward the good, and trust God to do the heavy lifting.

Because here’s the truth: mustard-seed faith is world-changing faith. And your classroom is holy ground where God is eager to work miracles – through you.