In the Gospel for today Our Lord says:
“The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed
that a person took and sowed in a field.
It is the smallest of all the seeds,
yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.”
Several Meanings
There are several meanings behind this parable of the mustard seed.
First, our Lord could be referencing our faith. Even if our faith starts off very small, if we immerse it in God’s grace through the sacraments and daily prayer, He will provide the constant nourishment to make it grow strong.
We must make this first step of making an act of faith. Then we must constantly return to God through the Sacraments, prayer, spiritual reading, holy friendship, and the saints to be given proper grace to grow! The Lord is so willing to help us grow if we only go to Him!
Our Lord also speaks of the birds in the trees in the parable, showing that the strength of our faith will help hold others up, and give them a place to shelter and grow their own faith.
Second, our Lord could be referencing the fact that the mustard seed is our earthly life. It is small, does not last long, and while it may be difficult it is nothing compared to the great glory of Heaven. There is so much pain and suffering in this world. Some suffering is so great our only hope can be in Heaven. But we should choose to have a great hope in this, even if we do not feel like it in the moment. For Heaven is a place of indescribable joy, peace, and fulfillment.
“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and death shall be no more. Nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow shall be any more, for the former things are passed away.”
May you have a great hope in Christ that He will bring you to the eternal paradise!
