On this twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, the Liturgy focuses on the passage from Luke in which the apostles ask Jesus:

«Increase our Faith!» (Lk 17:5).

Looking through the Sources, we come across a passage from Celano, taken from the Second Life, in which Francis is called to strengthen his faith in God at a particular moment in his journey.

"At a certain moment in his life, the Father suffered a violent temptation of spirit, certainly for the benefit of his crown.

For this reason, he was distressed and full of suffering, mortifying and chastising his body, praying and weeping in the most painful way.

This struggle lasted several years. One day, while praying in Santa Maria della Porziuncola, he heard a voice in his spirit:

'Francis, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain to move, and it will move'.

'Lord,' replied the Saint, 'what is the mountain that I would like to move?'.

And the voice replied again:

"The mountain is your temptation."

"O Lord," replied the saint in tears, "let it be done to me as you have said."

Immediately, all temptation disappeared, and he felt free and completely serene in the depths of his heart (FF 702).

This is what happens when we open ourselves to Grace! It transforms everything, strengthening the inner man.

Chiara was also a teacher of faith for her Damianite sisterhood.

In fact, she addresses Ermentrude of Bruges in a letter:

"Remain, therefore, my dearest, faithful until death to Him to whom you have bound yourself forever. And you will certainly be crowned by Him with the crown of life. The time of toil here below is short, but the reward is eternal...

Bear adversity willingly, and let pride not swell your heart in prosperous times; the former call you back to your faith, the latter require it" (FF 2914).

Sunday 27th in O.T. year C  (Lk 17:5-10)