Commentary on the Gospel of
11TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
"WHAT DOES THE KINGDOM OF GOD LOOK LIKE?"
Jesus' parables about the Kingdom are many and varied, one of the simplest and most beautiful is the parable of the mustard seed. The Kingdom of God and the church is similar to the mustard seed.
Things is life normally go slowly at the beginning and grow in the midst of difficulties, because this is how the tenacity that each one of us has to persevere when put to test while trying to our tasks and duties; sometimes we feel "little", surrounded by people who do not think like us, and at times we have the impression that those who have no morals are the ones who succeed in this life.
This is not true, because the Gospel teaches us that in the course of life, the good will prevail, and no matter how small what we sow may seem, it contains the goodness and the power of God, and the action of God can be helped by our work, though little might be. In the field of grace, we know that "all is of God and all is of man" and our role is to work for the building of the Kingdom of God. And our role is not one of a protagonist but rather one of active collaboration. Because we must not forget that the Kingdom is primarily God's and that He is the one who carries it forward. We are called to be workers in the vineyard, through prayer, suffering, words and deeds, but only God is God; everything is in His hands.
Today's gospel warns us that we sow with patience "because the seed germinates without our knowing how: first the stalks, then the ear, then the grain, and finally, when the grain is ready, it is harvested".
The fruits of our work of sowing are usually not immediate but long term: the sowing of St. Monica (mother of St. Augustine) took ten years to come to fruition.
Give us, Lord, an eye capable of seeing the fruits of your Kingdom: love, justice and peace in those around me.
(Psalm 91) It is good to give you thanks, Lord.
A HAPPY SUNDAY TO ALL
