Let us lead the lives of faith, goodness, and mercy that He asks of us
Reflections on the readings for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (July 19, 2020): WIS 12:13,16-19; PS 86:5-6,9-10,15-16; ROM 8:26-27; MT 13:24-43
MISSIO offers “Mission In Scripture” to nurture a missionary heart, providing reflections on the missionary themes in the readings of Sundays, Feast Days and Holy Days
He knows that His Kingdom will endure and flourish.
One of the brief parables that Jesus shares with His listeners is about the mustard seed. The idea of a tiny seed growing into a large bush expresses the way small beginnings can have great endings. “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’” (Matthew 13:31-32). We must be willing to add our efforts to the design God has for the welfare of all His children. Even if what we do seems too insignificant to count for much in our own eyes, our Lord sees things differently. He knows that His Kingdom will endure and flourish.
More than that, the expression about the birds of the sky dwelling in the branches of the bush comes from the Old Testament and refers to Gentiles. So Jesus is indicating that the Kingdom is meant not only for the Jewish people, but also for all people everywhere. By playing our part as followers of Christ and relying on Almighty God, we can all grow serve here on earth – and rejoice in heaven. We must be ready to respond to all He asks, even when circumstances are take unexpected and difficult turns.
Suggested missionary action: Let us ask our Lord to help us live in fidelity to Him for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. We can ask Him to help us think about what that means in our daily life – and how we can best fulfill what He wants from each of us.
