A Challenging homily on Luke 18:1–8, that calls us to keep the flame of faith alive amid a fading world, reminding us that true renewal begins in our hearts, our families, and our daily witness. (19-10-25)
There was a beautiful small lamp in a chapel. The lamp kept burning before the tabernacle. Every evening, someone came to light it. But over time, people stopped coming. Day and night passed, and the lamp began to dry. The little flame flickered, struggled, and finally went out. The chapel remained beautiful, the altar still stood, but there was no flame, no light before the Lord.
That little lamp is a picture of our world today. Jesus asked, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?” It is not a simple question. It is a challenge from His heart. When He comes again, will He find hearts still burning with love for Him, or only empty churches, closed seminaries, and silent bells?
We know that after the death and resurrection, Jesus entrusted his mission to His disciples. The disciples of Jesus were ordinary people. However, they were faithful and courageous. They believed blindly, they preached courageously, they suffered heroically, and through their faith, the world was transformed. Today, faith is in danger in many parts of the world. In Europe, less than half the people believe in Christ or attend church. Seminaries and convents are closing. Churches are being sold or repurposed. Families neglect teaching their children the faith. Even in our communities, Catholics sometimes delay marriage, avoid welcoming children, or fail to live faith at home. Jesus’ question is for us today: “Will He Find Faith on Earth?”
You might have heard people saying, “The Church will never die because Christ founded it.” That is true, but founding alone does not guarantee that faith will live. The Church is holy because Christ is holy, but it remains alive only when we are faithful. If we stop praying, stop teaching the faith, and stop caring for families, the Church may survive in buildings but die in hearts. Today we have too many buildings, too many institutions, but if we do not pay attention to the area where we need to pay attention we will perish with our buildings.
Faith dies slowly when prayer becomes routine, when sin is tolerated, when children grow up without knowing God, when there is no cooperation among believers and when Sunday worship is treated like any other day. The flame fades quietly until one day it is gone. And the question remains, Will there be faith on earth when the son of man comes back.
However, this is not the time to despair. This is the time to wake up. When a fire begins to die, we do not walk away. We blow, we fan it, we feed it. Jesus is asking us to rekindle the flame of faith. The Church does not need millions of believers. It needs faithful hearts. The early Church began with only twelve, but they were on fire. Today, the Lord is looking for people who will say, “Yes, Lord, when You come, You will find faith in me, in my family, and in my parish.”
A great saying attributed to Ignatius of Loyola goes like this “Pray as if everything depended on God; work as if everything depended on you.” Prayer is essential, but action is equally important. So in order to keep faith alive we need to work and shift our focus, once church was giving too much importance to building now it is a high time to have a shift of focus. We need to understand that families are the heart of the Church. If families are not there the Church also is not there. Hence we need to pay much attention to the families. Parents must be encouraged to welcome more children as a blessing from God and raise them in faith. The Church must support them in every possible way, especially financially, by providing help for education, catechesis, family programs, and moral guidance.
We must also support Christians in business and community life, helping them live their faith with integrity and generosity. Galatians 6:10 reminds us, “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” We are called to strengthen our own people and communities first, so that faith in Christ can grow from within.
In the Old Testament, prophets often stood alone but held fast. Elijah thought he was the only faithful one left, yet God told him there were seven thousand who had not bowed to Baal. Faith is never measured by numbers but by fidelity.
Priests, religious, parents, and youth — all have a role. The world needs witnesses who live their faith with courage and joy. Let us pray, yes, but let us also act. Let us pass faith to the next generation, feed it in our homes, and safeguard it in our hearts. If Jesus returns and finds even a few burning lamps, the world still bears light. That is our duty.
Let us rise and answer Jesus boldly: “Yes, Lord, when You come, You will find faith on earth — in me, in my family, in my parish, and in my people.”
Lord strengthen me as you have strengthened the apostles to live and proclaim the faith. Amen.
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God Bless…
Lovely