11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
This weekend we celebrate the 11th Sunday of ordinary time as we continue to slowly get back to a sort of normality after COVID19. Jesus seemed especially fond of using parables and we hear once again the parable of the mustard seed the ancient Middle Eastern parable is an explicit comparison of one item or one person to another. Jesus’ parables tell his listeners what God is like by comparing God the father and what he might do to something familiar and known to the people from the culture of the time in this case the wee mustard seed. The faith that we have handed down to us through the generations is represented in this Sundays Gospel by the mustard seed and that faith is something that all of us need to nourish. When the seed that is the Word of God takes root within us the Kingdom grows. We are called upon hearing the Word to meditate upon it in prayer so that it may take root in us and bear fruit. We are usually helped by books, and Christians do not want for them: the Sacred Scriptures, particularly the Gospels, holy icons, liturgical texts of the day or season, writings of the spiritual fathers, works of spirituality, and that of history the page on which the ‘today’ of God is written.
The parable of the seed shows us that there is an almighty power working for us through the smallest thing the mustard seed. Our part is simply to do a good job preparing the soil of our hearts and then when the seed is planted within us we let God take over. The word of God calls for a lot of hard work, especially during these post-pandemic days when we are struggling to understand what has happened as we move forward. We are challenged to apply ourselves where we see the needs are, which might be as close as in our own homes and streets right where we live. As we work we will see the Church continues to grow; for the Lord, not people, gives the Church spiritual growth. The Church will adjust and flourish in the future just as it has in the past as it rises to the challenges of daily life. When we are confronted with all kinds of things that run against what we believe in we should not despair, the Church not only lives on through the muddle and the mire of the world, it actually grows. We also grow like the mustard seed slowly and surely as long as we do everything possible to stay united in faith with Jesus and the Church. For in the face of turmoil, outside and within God is with us.
When we think of the small beginnings of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee to the spread of his message throughout the world, we appreciate the vast growth from the small mustard seed that has taken place over the years. We have reason to rejoice in God’s work, that the kingdom still attracts and welcomes so many different people. We are part of that kingdom so let us rejoice and be glad in it for the lord has done great things for us and holy is his name.
Fullerton T 