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Memorial of Saint Dominic, Priest

Reading 1 : Habakkuk 1:12—2:4

Are you not from eternity, O LORD,
my holy God, immortal?
O LORD, you have marked him for judgment,
O Rock, you have readied him punishment!
Too pure are your eyes to look upon evil,
and the sight of misery you cannot endure.
Why, then, do you gaze on the faithless in silence
while the wicked man devours
one more just than himself?
You have made man like the fish of the sea,
like creeping things without a ruler.
He brings them all up with his hook,
he hauls them away with his net,
He gathers them in his seine;
and so he rejoices and exults.
Therefore he sacrifices to his net,
and burns incense to his seine;
for thanks to them his portion is generous,
and his repast sumptuous.
Shall he, then, keep on brandishing his sword
to slay peoples without mercy?I will stand at my guard post,
and station myself upon the rampart,
And keep watch to see what he will say to me,
and what answer he will give to my complaint.

Then the LORD answered me and said:
Write down the vision
Clearly upon the tablets,
so that one can read it readily.
For the vision still has its time,
presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint;
If it delays, wait for it,
it will surely come, it will not be late.
The rash man has no integrity;
but the just man, because of his faith, shall live.

Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 9:8-9, 10-11, 12-13

R. (11b) You forsake not those who seek you, O Lord.
The LORD sits enthroned forever;
he has set up his throne for judgment.
He judges the world with justice;
he governs the peoples with equity.
R. You forsake not those who seek you, O Lord.
The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of distress.
They trust in you who cherish your name,
for you forsake not those who seek you, O LORD.
R. You forsake not those who seek you, O Lord.
Sing praise to the LORD enthroned in Zion;
proclaim among the nations his deeds;
For the avenger of blood has remembered;
he has not forgotten the cry of the poor.
R. You forsake not those who seek you, O Lord.

Alleluia : 2 Timothy 1:10

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel : Matthew 17:14-20

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.”

 Message from the Readings

Today’s readings proclaim a powerful truth:
Faith—humble, persistent, and rooted in God—has the power to overcome darkness, injustice, and every obstacle.
• Habakkuk teaches us to trust God even when answers seem delayed.
• The psalm reminds us that God is a refuge for the suffering.
• Jesus shows that even small faith, when genuine, unleashes divine power.
The message is clear: Live by faith. Pray with faith. Act with faith. God will move the mountains before you.

 Reflection for the Day

Saint Dominic lived in a time of confusion, spiritual hunger, and widespread error. He did not respond with anger or fear— he responded with truth, compassion, and unshakable faith.
He believed deeply that:
“A preacher must first speak to God in prayer before speaking about God to people.”
This is the heart of today’s readings.
Habakkuk cries out over injustice. He sees violence, suffering, and confusion. Yet God tells him:
“The just shall live by faith.”
Not by fear. Not by frustration. Not by despair. But by faith.
The psalm strengthens this message: God is a refuge. God remembers the cry of the poor. God does not abandon those who seek Him.
Then Jesus reveals the power of faith. The disciples could not heal the boy— not because God was unwilling, but because their faith had grown weak.
Jesus reminds them:
“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed… nothing will be impossible for you.”
Saint Dominic lived this truth. He preached with fire because he prayed with depth. He converted hearts because he trusted God completely. He built communities because he believed God could do the impossible.
Today’s readings invite us to three movements:

1. Cry out to God honestly.
   Like Habakkuk, bring your questions, struggles, and frustrations to Him.
2. Trust God’s timing and justice.
   He sees everything and acts with perfect wisdom.
3. Live with mustard‑seed faith.
   Even small faith, offered sincerely, becomes powerful in God’s hands.
   Let today be a day of deeper trust, bold prayer, and renewed faith.

 Prayer for Today

Lord Jesus, strengthen my faith when I feel overwhelmed, discouraged, or afraid.
Teach me to trust Your timing, Your justice, and Your power.
Like Saint Dominic, make me a person of prayer, truth, and compassion.
May my faith— even if small— become a seed You use to move mountains and bring Your light into the world.
Amen.