Sunday, June 17, 2018
ELEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Ezekiel 17:22-24/Psalm 91;2-3,13-16/2 Corinthians 5;6-10/Mark 4:26-34
LITTLE BEGINNING, GREATER RESULTS
Beloved, the prophet Ezekiel, in our today's first reading, used the allegory of eagle, vine and cedar to refer to the time of the deportations of the kings of Judah, namely: Jehoakim, Jehoiachin and Zedekiah (2 Kings 24:1ff). King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon defeated these kings and took the people into captivity. But God assured them of rehabilitation. This disaster weakened the faith and trust of the people at the time. Have I taken things for granted leading to a disaster? Has my faith and trust in God weakened because of a disaster? Have faith, hope and trust in God, things will get better.
St. Paul is getting physically weaker. Yet he is not afraid to die. He hopes to pass through death, to be with God, in another world, with a new life. He advises us to use our bodies well because each of us will get what we deserve, good or bad, for the things we do with our bodies ( 2 Corinthians 5:10). How do I use my body?
Friends, Jesus uses parables to convey his messages more clearly, appropriately and deeply. In our today's Gospel reading, he talks about the growth of a seed. Only God knows about the sowing, growing and bearing of fruits. The seed here is the Word of God. But we all can picture how things began in a humble, simple, little and insignificant way and grew greatly e.g the human being, our communities, Churches, meeting groups/associations, parties, business etc. We need to do our part and ask for God's intervention to help us to be patient, so that the good things that He has helped us to start, in a little way, may grow.
Let us pray for the grace to remain faithful to God, no matter what. We also pray for the grace to use our bodies more carefully. May God make our humble beginnings grow bigger, to the glory of His name and for the good of His people. BE BLESSED.
Fr. Gaa (0206854323/0240308878)