Friends,
Our readings this week, filled with hope and confidence, are not just ancient texts, but living words that speak to our daily lives. They invite us to reflect and pray, nurturing our joyful hope. The theme of growth, seeds, and trees, as well as the idea of universality, that God’s kingdom is for all of humanity, are threads that run through these readings, connecting us to our shared human experience.
In the first reading, God, through the prophet Ezekiel, promises the tiny remnant of Israel that they will grow into a new people, just as the cedar grows from a small shoot.
The Psalm is a song of thanksgiving to the Lord, who enables the just to grow and flourish like a cedar. St Paul, in the second reading, reminds the Corinthians of the confidence they have, despite the tensions of living while waiting for the Lord. This fills them with the expectation of being with him one day.
The Gospel contains two parables of the Kingdom: the parable of the seed growing secretly and the parable of the mustard seed. Both parables reveal God working continuously for the growth of his kingdom. As we go about our lives this week, we may find other metaphors for the God who works secretly for his kingdom in all those around us, in our surroundings, and in all events.
Joy and peace.
