HOMILY OF 17TH MONDAY ORDINARY TIME — YEAR A
HOMILY THEME: The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field
BY: Fr. Mike Lagrimas
Jesus proposed another parable to them. “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.’” He spoke to them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened.”
ALSO RECOMMENDED: HOMILY OF 17TH MONDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Nobody wants to be small. Everybody wants to be big. Many of us believe that being big is the best way to be great. And the faster we become big, the greater we become. Since this world is survival of the fittest, the big ones will surely dominate the small ones. That is the main principle in business, politics, sports and all worldly activities. So we often hear of business ‘ expansions’, company ‘mergers’ and political ‘alliances’ in order to become bigger and stronger.
Fortunately, this is not the way God operates. The parables of the Gospel today tell us that being small is not a disadvantage; rather it is the way to true greatness. The Kingdom of God is likened to a mustard seed, the smallest of all seeds, but grows to become the largest of plants. It is also likened to a small amount of yeast which is kneaded into three measures of wheat flour “until the whole batch was leavened.”
Becoming big is not a guarantee of greatness. True greatness does not depend on quantity or size, but in quality and inner power. The mustard seed, though small, has inner power and potential to become a large shrub. It grows underground unseen from the outside.
Similarly, a small amount of yeast, when mixed with dough, is invisible. But it has the inner power to make the dough swell to twice its original size and even bigger. It is transforming the whole batch of dough from the inside, slowly and gradually, without anybody noticing it.
The image of the yeast has similarity with the image of the salt. The Church only exerts its influence when it is totally immersed in human society. Christians cannot separate themselves from the society they wish to evangelize. They may be just a minority, small and unnoticeable, but with the power that comes from the Word, they have the potency to transform the entire society.
These two parables have direct relation and significance to the Church’s mission of evangelization. They are meant to give us inspiration and strengthen our resolve to be more patient as we face great challenges in bringing people to God. Many times, we are disheartened by the meager results of our efforts in the apostolate. We are reminded that the seed is working always, growing continuously beneath the surface. One day it will shoot up! The yeast, mixed with the dough, though just a small amount and invisible, is undergoing the process of fermentation. In a short while, the whole batch of dough will rise.
Let us never be afraid to be small. If God is with us, we will surely be great. Rather, what we should be afraid of is to be separated from God. No matter how big we are now in the eyes of the world, but without God, we can disappear into nothingness in an instant. So Jesus exhorts us: “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5).
There is really no need to become big. Instead, we should strive to remain small and humble but intimately close to God all the time. That is the way to become truly big and great in the Kingdom of God, and a powerful instrument in the transformation of society.
Fr. Mike Lagrimas
St. Michael the Archangel Parish
Diocese of Novaliches
There is really no need to become big. Instead, we should strive to remain small and humble but intimately close to God all the time. That is the way to become truly big and great in the Kingdom of God, and a powerful instrument in the transformation of society.
FOR A SIMILAR HOMILY, CLICK HERE >>>>>