October 17

A bruised reed shall He not break, and the smoking flax shall He not quench. Isaiah 42:3.

There are many weak Christians in the Church to-day. Their knowledge and understanding of divine things is very limited; they are hardly able to tell the simplest things of Christian teaching. Their knowledge of the Bible is very limited, and they are full of doubts, unable to see in many cases what is right or wrong.

Weakness of faith is a dangerous thing. Do not those who have a weak faith easily fall a prey to error, to temptation, to sins and lusts? Let us all, therefore, seek to have a strong faith! Let

us pray with the disciples, "Lord, increase our faith." And to increase our faith, we must diligently make use of the means of grace. Come to the house of God and with devout attention hear the preaching of God's Word. Come to the holy Sacrament and receive the true body and blood of Christ, given and shed for the remission of sins.

But are not those of weak faith to be classed with unworthy communicants? By no means; for such as have but a weak faith and are frequently overtaken in a fault, but who keenly feel their weakness and yearn to become stronger, on the contrary, are very welcome guests at Christ's Table. The Lord will in no wise cast them out; He rather invites them to come, inasmuch as He instituted His Holy Supper especially for the weak and the frail, that they might be strengthened through this spiritual food. To them He says: "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." When faith is like a smoking flax, when the smoke is thick and the light weak, that faith is also pleasing to God and an object of His special care. To strengthen this weak faith, the Lord has instituted His Holy Supper. Here He says to you: As surely as I here give you My body and blood to eat and to drink, so surely you shall believe that I have died for you, for the remission of your sins, your sins individually. Therefore do not feel sad. Your very desire to believe is a sign that you have not lost the faith.

Prayer.

Dear Lord God, Thou knowest I do not presume to come before Thee of mine own self or relying on my own worthiness; for, when looking to this, I dare not raise mine eyes to Thee, nor would I know how to begin my prayer. But I come because of Thy most earnest desire and command that we should call upon Thee, and because Thou hast promised to hear us. Thou hast said: "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." This I believe, and therefore I often partake of Thy Holy Supper which Thou hast prepared for me to strengthen my weak faith. Amen.

Lord, show us still that Thou art good And grant us evermore this food. Give faith to every wav'ring soul And make each wounded spirit whole.