HOMILY OF 3RD FRIDAY IN THE ORDINARY TIME — YEAR A
HOMILY OF 3RD FRIDAY IN THE ORDINARY TIME — YEAR A
HOMILY THEME: “The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed…”
BY: Bishop Anthony Ewherido
Hebrews 10:32-39, Ps 36:3-6,23-24,39-40, Mark 4:26-34
The parable of the Mustard Seed always reminds us of the work of God in bringing not just the Church, but our individual lives, from little, insignificant humble beginnings, to great and big outcomes; from seed to tree. Growth in any way is God’s gift and we must not forget that. In the context of the parable of the seed growing secretly, the activity of God in that growth process is in focus.
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“Of its own accord” may be misleading if we construe that to mean that the seed grows because of its own self-generative energy, without any external forces. It rather refers to the previous verse with reference to the man going to bed and rising to see that the seed sprout and keep growing. Human effort is wonderful. But God provides the growth. Human beings tend to forget the divine component of their growth and attribute success to their efforts, skills, acumen, intellect, savviness, ingenuity, and wisdom. All these qualities are very important. More important, however, is that divine provision, that is, grace, also accounts for our possession of these attributes either as endowments or as acquisitions. God is source and end, and when we remember that, we do not only acknowledge God, we also cultivate a spirit of gratitude that invites us to count our blessings. By so doing, God blesses us even more and perfects the work of our hands. Quite often, endurance, tenacity, diligence, resilience, and hope are the strong qualities that ensure the blessings of growth and successful outcomes. As we use them in other endeavors, today’s first reading urges us to also apply them in our relationship with God; in our faith and religious response, in order to attain the greatest of outcomes in our life struggles, namely, eternal life in heaven. Hence the reading notes: “You and I are not the sort of people who draw back, and are lost by it; we are the sort who keep faithful until our souls are saved.”
Thank you, Lord, for growth and wonderful outcomes; keep us faithful and enduring in our religious response, that we may inherit everlasting life. Amen.
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