11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
The keywords for today are patience, perseverance, and hope. The passage from Ezekiel is an allegory about a messianic age to come. His prophecy declares an end to the violence and destruction that Israel has been suffering. In this allegory of the cedar tree, he portrays God as a gardener re-planting Israel like a tiny clipping from the mighty Lebanon cedar. God will not abandon Israel. In time, Israel will flourish in a golden age to come. Patience!
In the second reading, St. Paul urges the Corinthians to remain strong and courageous even as their faith is challenged. He reminds them that they’re merely passing through this world. He stresses that they must rely on their faith to generate the strength they need to complete their journey home to God, who eagerly awaits them with open arms. Perseverance!
In the Gospel passage, Jesus shares an insight about the kingdom of God. He uses two images: the mysterious process that evolves a seed into a grain of wheat and the miracle of the mustard seed that grows from the smallest of seeds into the largest of bushes. He’s focusing on the process of the kingdom’s formation. Its growth is both mysterious and powerful.
While reflecting on these passages, I realized that each day presents me with a challenge. When I pray, “Thy kingdom come,” my soul confronts the lies, corruption, and seemingly endless lust for power that grips the world. As I direct God’s light into the world’s darkness, I pray for the strength and courage that patience and perseverance can afford me as I continue Jesus’ mission. My dedication to the principles of the kingdom, loving others as Jesus loved me, maintains the momentum of the kingdom’s appearance. The great day of the kingdom’s manifestation will come – in the fulness of time – and in its own way. I’m sure of it. Hope!
Prayer
Holy Spirit, I reach out to you. Bless me with your gifts of patience, perseverance, and hope to strengthen me as I devote myself to the ministry of Jesus. May all that I say and do manifest your kingdom on earth. Amen.