“Faith” is a gift, which as Paul would say, is continually from “Revive” with the daily conquest of new spaces to offer, through daily fidelity to one’s relationship with God. A relationship which is certainly not servile, but through the awareness of being “Useless servants” increases the awareness of being loved and esteemed children. Paraphrasing Paul’s exhortation to his beloved disciple and trust collaborator Timothy, we could say to ourselves: “do not be ashamed” of be a man of faith. In a text made famous to the point of becoming fundamental in Christian reflection because of the mention of him in the Pauline letters to the Romans and the Galatians, the prophet Habakkuk, in the face of the struggles between opposing empires trying to establish themselves as superpowers – we are in the years 625-612 BC when from the ashes of the Assyrian empire that of Babylon rises -, it seems to illuminate with a ray of light the shadowy history of men: “while the just will live by his faith”. We just have to make ours, and in the deepest way, the humble invocation and heartfelt of the apostles: “Increase the faith in us”. The Lord Jesus reminds the
disciples of him that faith should not be increased, but must be radicalized: “If you had faith when a mustard seed… ”(Lk 17, 6). This condition absolute becomes, in the rest of the text, the evocation of this servant who is not he does the things that are required of him in a spirit of enslavement, but with one sort of satisfaction and joy. The relationship between God and man is not that of an employer and an employee, but it is rather that of love wedding that is given without calculating and in absolute gratuity.

Commentary by b. Michael David, osb Novalesa Abbey

Translation by f. Mark Hargreaves, Prinknash Abbey