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Gospel Reading for August 08, 2026 – Matthew 17: 14-20
HUMAN FRAILTY
A man came up to Jesus, knelt down before him, and said, “Lord, have pity on my son, who is a lunatic and suffers severely; often he falls into fire, and often into water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.” Jesus said in reply, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you? Bring the boy here to me.” Jesus rebuked him and the demon came out of him, and from that hour the boy was cured. Then the disciples approached Jesus in private and said, “Why could we not drive it out?” He said to them, “Because of your little faith. Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
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The man had great faith in Jesus’ disciples, yet it was the disciples themselves who lacked faith, and so no miracle took place. Perhaps they knew that an evil spirit was afflicting the boy, and they became afraid of the devil’s power.
It is true that the devil has power, but he can never be more powerful than God.
This is something we must always remember. When we fall, we often say that it is because of HUMAN FRAILTY. Yes, HUMAN FRAILTY is real; that is why we need God’s Spirit—the Holy Spirit—to strengthen us in the midst of our doubts and weaknesses.
This is why, even after Jesus returned to the Father, his mission did not end. He sent the Holy Spirit to remain with us, guide us, strengthen us, and lead us toward salvation.
Lord Jesus, thank you for your loving care and thoughtfulness toward us. Amen.
