11th Sunday In Ordinary Time 

Ezekiel 17:22-24
Psalm 91(92):2-3,13-16
2 Corinthians 5:6-10
Mark 4:26-34

BE PATIENT WITH THINGS THAT REQUIRES TIME TO GROW

In the four Gospels, our Lord’s teaching consists of his divine nature, his passion, his second coming, basic ethical principles, religious observances, and much more.

However, there is one strand of his teaching that seems to encompass all of these aspects – the teaching about his kingdom, the kingdom of God.

From his teaching, we know that this kingdom, while reaching its full perfection only in heaven, is already present here on earth, guided by the action of the Holy Spirit.

We know that it is to be found among those who believe in Him, who are united with him in baptism, and who express their faith through their lives.

In Christ’s own words, with what shall we compare the kingdom of God? What parable or illustration? We have two parables in today’s Gospel according to St. Mark.

In the first, we talk about growth from seeds to harvest, while in the second parable, we talk about something small and great (a mustard seed becoming a mustard tree).

On earth, the seed of the kingdom of God is something very tiny to begin with, but it then grows to be a huge tree. Thus, we see how the small group of the initial disciples grew mightily in the early years of the Church, and it continues to grow and spread from the acts of the Apostles right down the centuries to our present day. It will continue to grow and expand until the end of time.

That growth in numbers happens through a personal increase in faith within every individual soul. God is the one in charge, as he tells us through the prophet Ezekiel in today’s first reading, ‘I the Lord am the one who stunts tall trees and makes the low ones grow.’ The words of our Lady in the Magnificat also express humility and faith in Jesus Christ.

Let us allow the kingdom of God to grow in us through humility and trust. Above all, we need the spirit of patience to attain God’s plan for us. We cannot be asking God to give us patience O Lord, but hurry up.

Let us remember that the end results are best appreciated after patiently going through the process of growth. Be patient with things that require time to grow.

Similarly, the invisible hand of God constantly blesses us with His presence in our daily living, sustaining and keeping the world and universe in order. These are the unseen miracles of each day.

Do we think that it is by counting our calories, going to the gym, and visiting our doctors for check-ups that we are alive today? No, it is God who is keeping us alive as He loves us deeply.

Can you see the hand of God at work in your life? How much love do you show God in return? How often do you take God’s loving ways for granted? Do you love Him in others? May we continue to grow in the way that God intends and may we be willing to share our experience of growth with others. Amen.

Fr Joseph Osho