People lose faith for many reasons.
One of the many reasons is that they get angry with God for not answering their prayers.
Especially in a time of desperate need and distress, they prayed fervently and expect a quick answer from God.
And when God doesn’t seem to answer their prayers, they get disappointed and give up their faith in God.
Even if the need is not that desperate and urgent, some people get disappointed when they could not get what they want or wish for.
The 1st reading begins with this advice: if you aspire to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for an ordeal.
That may not sound encouraging or motivating, but essentially the Responsorial Psalm sums it up in the response: Commit your life to the Lord, trust Him and He will act.
In the gospel, when the disciples were arguing about who is the greatest, Jesus set before them a little child.
In welcoming a little child and having the humility and simplicity of a little child, we welcome the great and loving God.
And the great and loving God will help us to overcome the struggles and troubles of life and then we will receive rewards of having faith in God.