Photo was taken at Knock Shrine, Knock, Co.Mayo (Irl)

A moment of prayer during the TY Gathering in Knock last Friday.

Thought on Sunday – October – 06/10/2013

The following reflections is by Triona Doherty called ‘Something Precious’

Are there any precious items in your family that have been handed down from one generation to the next? Whether jewellery, ornaments, silverware, books, or old photos or letters, most families have certain items that are guarded carefully and kept in a safe place to be passed on to future generations. Likewise, we have stories that are passed on from parents and grandparents, which form part of our history and our sense of who we are.

Today we think about another type of precious gift which must be guarded carefully – our faith, and the teachings of Jesus. In today’s Second Reading, Paul reminds us that we have been ‘trusted to look after something precious’. How often do we think of our faith as something ‘precious’? What does our faith mean to us? The disciples in today’s Gospel ask Jesus to increase their faith, but his roundabout answer reveals that this is not such a simple request – faith comes with certain responsibilities and duties. Like a treasured family heirloom, we are to look after the gift of faith we have been given, and to ‘guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us’. Only then will we be able to pass this precious gift on.