Monday, July 28, 203
17th Week in Ordinary Time

1st Reading: Ex 32:15-24, 30-34
Gospel: Mt 13:31-35

Jesus put another parable before them, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, that a man took and sowed in his field.

"It is smaller than all other seeds, but once it has fully grown, it is bigger than any garden plant; like a tree, the birds come and rest in its branches."
He told them another parable, "The kingdom of heaven is like the yeast that a woman took and buried in three measures of flour until the whole mass of dough began to rise."

Jesus taught all this to the crowds by means of parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So what the Prophet had said was fulfilled: I will speak in parables. I will proclaim things kept secret since the beginning of the world.

Commentary

The mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds. The world doesn't always appreciate what is small. Big is what we want; size matters a great deal. What is spectacular is always more appealing and attractive to many. But as Jesus reminds us in the gospel reading today, that is not always the case. The word of God is often hidden in small places and wrapped in small packages. So is faith. A great and generous gesture, a huge donation, a powerful preaching that moves the hearts of thousands to turn to God, are just certainly well appreciated. But so are a small act of gentleness, a kind word of encouragement and support, a word of praise and appreciation for a job well done. These are just as real an expression of faith as the larger and more showy ones. The parable of the yeast says pretty much the same thing. Such a small portion, placed in a huge mixture of flour, seemingly insignificant compared to the big dough mix, seemingly ineffective in doing anything at all, and yet in reality, it is the very thing that makes the whole dough rise. Big is certainly beautiful, powerful, and desirable. But for Jesus, so is the small. In fact, at times, it's even better.

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