Today I am sharing a reflection I wrote for the March 2025 issue of Give Us This Day, published by Liturgical Press. First, I will give you the Gospel on which the reflection is based. Then I’ll share the reflection.
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Matthew 13: 31-35
Jesus proposed another parable to them. “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the birds of the sky come down and dwell in its branches.”
He spoke to them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened.”
All these things Jesus spoke to the crowd in parables. He spoke to them only in parables, to fulfill what had been said through the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables; I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world.”
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Small. Gradual. Hidden
In the gospel passage above, Jesus shares two parable of the Kingdom of God. In the first, he compares the Kingdom to a mustard seed. What does this imply? First, that the Kingdom begins small. Tiny, in fact. Perhaps easily missed. Second, seeds usually develop gradually, often slowly. “Presto” is not God’s usual way of doing things. God’s ways are more slow-but-steady. Third, a seed is not a finished product. It is hidden potential.
Then Jesus says the Kingdom of God is like yeast that a woman (in her kitchen) mixes with “three measures of wheat flour”–enough for sixty loaves! Was she feeding an army? More likely, a wedding feast. Yeast works secretly. A tiny amount has a huge effect on the entire dough. These two short parables (only four sentences long) can raise some questions worth pondering.
Are we too enamored with the big and spectacular in our world? Little is beautiful. Small can be good. Are we too focused on the loud, the showy, the sensational in our lives? What lies hidden can matter the most.
Do we expect instant results? Growth takes time. Do we demand the total package, the finished product in individuals, in our institutions, in ourselves? Maybe we need to nourish potential more. Do we downplay the ordinary in our lives? Instead, may we learn to see the miraculous in the mundane… and come to believe that all places–even gardens and kitchens–can harbor the holy.
For reflection…
What “small” things in your life do you find beautiful?
Is there someone in your own life who helped nourish the potential in you? How did they do that?
Is there an ordinary place in your life that you feel is a “holy place” for you? What makes it holy?
Where do you experience the “Kingdom of God” in your life?
PS: It was a privilege for me to walk this past week with 59 retreatants at Our Lady of Snows Shrine in Belleville, IL. Thank you for your enthusisam, goodness, and prayerfulness. I was deeply inspired by all of you! A special thank you for Fr. Mark and the fine staff there for making the retreat run so smoothly. And finally, thank you to our blog readers for remembering us in your prayers!
Our video today is the old classic, “In His Time” by Maranatha. I chose this version for its array of images of God’s magnificent creation. Just click the link below:
As always, I encourage you to share a thought or two in the comments below…
17 Responses
Small people (sometimes called grandchildren)
Small kindnesses (smiles, nods, thumbs up)
Small moments of calm and pause
And small comments…like yours, Priscilla… Thank you! Melannie
Excellent, Priscilla!
I agree, Mary! Melannie
Dan Schutte’s song “In God’s Perfect Time” is a reminder that God’s timing never fails us; we need to get out of the way.
Charlene, Thank you for the song recommendation! I liked your “we need to get out of the way.” Melannie
I experience the kingdom of God every day when I walk into our school. Each child yearns for love and acceptance. Although the family is the first teacher, my goal is to spread a lot of Gods love during the eight hours that I am with my students!
Mary, What a Christ-like attitude to have each morning as you enter your school. Sometimes, a particular teacher spends more time with the children then their parents do. Thanks for writing! Melannie
What a beautiful reflection. I’ll use it today at prayer. The video was beautiful and prayerful too. Thank you and have a blessed day.
Diane, You’ve blessed my day by your simple comment. Thank you! Melannie
😇 “the miraculous in the mundane”
Each day that I awake, I look forward to my first cup of tea. Today while I sip the brewed tea leaves “expertly selected from Kenya, Indonesia, Assam and China,” I’ll relish in the miracle that once upon an ancient time, a leaf from a wild tea bush drifted into a pot of boiling water and… 😋
Annmarie, I liked your musings on who made the first cup of tea! Maybe it was by accident. But tea remains the most universal beverage in the world–and thoughout human history! (I think beer and wine are a close second!) Melannie
The other day I was walking into a neighborhood Walmart and this lady stopped me. She said that my smile had made her day. I was dumbfounded. It was just a smile…or was it?
Valorie, what a beautiful experience for both of you. I believe smiles are a reflection of God’s presence within.
Valorie,
What a beautiful little story. You really “connected” with this stranger in such a simple way! Thanks for sharing this story with us! Melannie
I loved today’s blog reflections, two of my favorite gospel parables. The video was well chosen and beautiful. Thank you Melannie.
Small is good and can be more profound than the booms. Watching children play, watching flowers bloom, experiencing fresh air in the morning, catching a beautiful smile.
Loretta, Thank you for your simple examples of small things being beautiful. What struck me was your “experiencing fresh air in the morning.” Millions of people–including people living near Cleveland (like you and me), Pittsburg, Buffalo, etc. are experiencing that smoke from those hundreds of forest fires in Canada. Let us continue to pray for all who are affected by or who are fighting those massive fires… Melannie