"The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist."
--Pope St. Leo I
"The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist."
--Pope St. Leo I
January 29, 2021
Friday of the Third
Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 321
Remember the days past when, after you had been enlightened,
you endured a great contest of suffering.
At times you were publicly exposed to abuse and affliction;
at other times you associated yourselves with those so treated.
You even joined in the sufferings of those in prison
and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property,
knowing that you had a better and lasting possession.
Therefore, do not throw away your confidence;
it will have great recompense.
You need endurance to do the will of God and receive what he has promised.
For, after just a brief moment,
he who is to come shall come;
he shall not delay.
But my just one shall live by faith,
and if he draws back I take no pleasure in him.
We are not among those who draw back and perish,
but among those who have faith and will possess life.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 37:3-4, 5-6, 23-24, 39-40
R.
(39a) The salvation of the just
comes from the Lord.
Trust in the LORD and do good,
that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will grant you your heart’s requests.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Commit to the LORD your way;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will make justice dawn for you like the light;
bright as the noonday shall be your vindication.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
By the LORD are the steps of a man made firm,
and he approves his way.
Though he fall, he does not lie prostrate,
for the hand of the LORD sustains him.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
The salvation of the just is from the LORD;
he is their refuge in time of distress.
And the LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you,
Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed
to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Mk 4:26-34
Jesus said to the crowds:
“This is how it is with the Kingdom of God;
it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land
and would sleep and rise night and day
and the seed would sprout and grow,
he knows not how.
Of its own accord the land yields fruit,
first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once,
for the harvest has come.”
He said,
“To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God,
or what parable can we use for it?
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”
With many such parables
he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.
Without parables he did not speak to them,
but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.
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What surprises are you growing?
"This is how it is with the reign of God," explains Jesus in today's Gospel passage: We scatter our faith around like seeds by interceding for others, by doing God's will, and by sharing our faith stories with those who will listen. Since we cannot make these seeds sprout and grow (only God can), we're taken by surprise when we walk into the field and run smack into full-grown cornstalks.
As Christians who accept the mission that Christ has given to us, we are in partnership with God. That's what the reign of God is. We sow, God makes it grow. However, if we forget that it's a partnership, or if we doubt that God cares more about the crop than we do, or if we take full credit for what we do, God's reign comes by surprise.
In whatever difficulty you're enduring, have you been asking God to help you? Then he is! What have you learned that's improved your holiness and increased your trust in God? These are a few of the seeds you can scatter. Often, we're so busy staring at the dirt that we neglect to see what's sprouting from the seeds we've been sowing.
Everything that grows is a miraculous intervention of God. We could water and fertilize and pull weeds for a million years and nothing would grow unless God gets involved. But the greatest surprise is that the very thing we dislike most about our difficulties is exactly what God uses as fertilizer -- which produces a wonderful harvest. (Think of the material that natural fertilizer is made from. That dirty, smelly stuff is very useful!)
As today's first reading points out, "Remember the days past when you endured great suffering." Although we must do everything possible to stop abuse, when we handle difficulties with Christ-like love, it produces great fruits. Don't look for short-cuts or try to veer away from the unpleasant paths on which God is leading you. A greater value lies ahead!
God's help comes to us at the earliest possible best moment, not a moment sooner regardless of how much we beg for a quick end to our trials. The question is not: "Why me? How much longer must I suffer this way?" Rather, the real question is: "How can this be used to help others?" This is how curses become blessings and misery becomes joy.
God is producing a crop of new knowledge and healing and holiness in you that he will use as food for others. Maybe you've been hoping that sugar cane will grow from your corn. Surprise! You've got a silo overflowing with corn. This is your gift to a spiritually starving world.
Today's Prayer
Dear Lord, give me the grace to trust in You while I await the fruit of my work in Your ways. Amen.
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God Bless You.....
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