Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 07-28-14

St. Botvid

Feast Day: July 28
Died: 1100

Botvid was born in the province of Sudermannland in Sweden and came from a pagan family. Pagans were people who believed in false gods and false teachings. When he went to England, he got converted and became a Christian. Although he was not a priest, he had a great wish to spread the good news of the gospel. He wanted to share the gospel message with his own countrymen and decided to be a lay missionary.

St. Botvid returned to Sweden to work for the Lord there. After many years he decided it would be good to have the Gospel preached in Finland, too. So he bought a Finnish slave and taught him the Catholic religion. He then set the slave free to go back to Finland and take the good news of salvation to his people.

That man repaid the saint for his goodness by a terrible act of ingratitude. St. Botvid set out in a boat to take him across the Baltic sea to Finland. When they went ashore and the saint was asleep, the wicked slave killed Botvid and sailed away with the boat.

When the saint did not return, friends searched for him until they found his body. He died in 1100. St. Botvid is honored as a martyr of charity and as one of the apostles of Sweden.

Reflection: Today we might consider showing our appreciation and gratitude to people who have helped us in so many ways, especially our parents and teachers.

third request before I go to the web administrator: TAKE ME OFF YOUR LIST !!!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/3185838/posts?page=2#2

Matthew
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Matthew 13
31.	Another parable he proposed unto them, saying: The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field.	Aliam parabolam proposuit eis dicens : Similis est regnum cælorum grano sinapis, quod accipiens homo seminavit in agro suo :	αλλην παραβολην παρεθηκεν αυτοις λεγων ομοια εστιν η βασιλεια των ουρανων κοκκω σιναπεως ον λαβων ανθρωπος εσπειρεν εν τω αγρω αυτου
32.	Which is the least indeed of all seeds; but when it is grown up, it is greater than all herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come, and dwell in the branches thereof.	quod minimum quidem est omnibus seminibus : cum autem creverit, majus est omnibus oleribus, et fit arbor, ita ut volucres cæli veniant, et habitent in ramis ejus.	ο μικροτερον μεν εστιν παντων των σπερματων οταν δε αυξηθη μειζον των λαχανων εστιν και γινεται δενδρον ωστε ελθειν τα πετεινα του ουρανου και κατασκηνουν εν τοις κλαδοις αυτου
33.	Another parable he spoke to them: The kingdom of heaven is like to leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, until the whole was leavened.	Aliam parabolam locutus est eis : Similis est regnum cælorum fermento, quod acceptum mulier abscondit in farinæ satis tribus, donec fermentatum est totum.	αλλην παραβολην ελαλησεν αυτοις ομοια εστιν η βασιλεια των ουρανων ζυμη ην λαβουσα γυνη εκρυψεν εις αλευρου σατα τρια εως ου εζυμωθη ολον
34.	All these things Jesus spoke in parables to the multitudes: and without parables he did not speak to them.	Hæc omnia locutus est Jesus in parabolis ad turbas : et sine parabolis non loquebatur eis :	ταυτα παντα ελαλησεν ο ιησους εν παραβολαις τοις οχλοις και χωρις παραβολης ουκ ελαλει αυτοις
35.	That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world.	ut impleretur quod dictum erat per prophetam dicentem : Aperiam in parabolis os meum ; eructabo abscondita a constitutione mundi.	οπως πληρωθη το ρηθεν δια του προφητου λεγοντος ανοιξω εν παραβολαις το στομα μου ερευξομαι κεκρυμμενα απο καταβολης κοσμου

31. Another parable put he forth to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
32. Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches.

CHRYS; Seeing the Lord had said above that three parts of the seed perish, and one only is preserved, and of that one part there is much loss by reason of the tares that are sown upon it; that none might say, Who then and how many shall they be that believe; He removes this cause of fear by the parable of the mustard seed: therefore it is said, Another parable put he forth to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed.

JEROME; The kingdom of heaven is the preaching of the Gospel, and the knowledge of the Scriptures which leads to life, concerning which it is said to the Jews, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you. It is the kingdom of heaven thus understood which is likened to a grain of mustard seed.

AUG; A grain of mustard seed may allude to the warmth of faith, or to its property as antidote to poison. It follows; Which a man took and sowed in his field.

JEROME; The man who sows is by most understood to be the Savior, who sows the seed in the minds of believers; by others the man himself, who sows in his field, that is, in his own heart. Who indeed is he that sows, but our own mind and understanding, which receiving the grain of preaching, and nurturing it by the dew of faith, makes it to spring up in the field of our own breast? Which is the least of all seeds. The Gospel preaching is the least of all the systems of the schools; at first view it has not even the appearance of truth, announcing a man as God, God put to death, and proclaiming the offense of the cross. Compare this teaching with the dogmas of the Philosophers, with their books, the splendor of their eloquence, the polish of their style, and you will see how the seed of the Gospel is the least of all seeds.

CHRYS; Or, the seed of the Gospel is the least of seeds, because the disciples were weaker than the whole of mankind; yet forasmuch as there was great might in them, their preaching spread throughout the whole world, and therefore it follows, But when it is grown it is the greatest among herbs, that is among dogmas.

AUG; Dogmas are the decisions of sects, the points, that is, that they have determined.

JEROME; For the dogmas of Philosophers when set they have grown up, show nothing of life or strength, but watery and insipid they grow into grasses and other greens, which quickly dry up and wither away. But the Gospel preaching, though it seem small in its beginning, when sown in the mind of the hearer, or upon the world, comes up not a garden herb, but a tree, so that the birds of the air (which we must suppose to be either the souls of believers or the Powers of God set free from slavery) come and abide in its branches. The branches of the Gospel tree which have grown of the grain of mustard seed, I suppose to signify the various dogmas in which each of the birds (as explained above) takes his rest. Let us then take the wings of the dove, that flying aloft we may dwell in the branches of this tree, and may make ourselves nests of doctrines, and soaring Or you earthly things may hasten towards heavenly.

HILARY; Or, the Lord compares Himself to a grain of mustard seed, sharp to the taste, and the least of all seeds, whose strength is extracted by bruising.

GREG; Christ Himself is the grain of mustard seed, who, planted in the garden of the sepulcher, grew up a great tree; He was a grain of seed when He died and a tree when He rose again; a grain of seed in the humiliation of the flesh, a tree in the power of His majesty.

HILARY; This grain then when sown in the field, that is when seized by the people and delivered to death, and as it were buried in the ground by a sowing of the body, grew up beyond the size of all herbs, and exceeded all the glory of the Prophets. For the preaching of the Prophets was allowed as it were herbs to a sick man; but now the birds of the air lodge in the branches of the tree. By which we understand the Apostles, who put forth of Christ's might, and overshadowing the world with their boughs, are a tree to which the Gentiles flee in hope of life, and having been long tossed by the winds, that is by the spirits of the Devil, may have rest in its branches.

GREG; The birds lodge in its branches, when holy souls that raise themselves aloft from thoughts of earth on the wings of the virtues, breathe again from the troubles of this life in their words and comforting.

33. Another parable spoke he to them; The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

CHRYS; The same thing the Lord sets forth in this parable of the leaven; as much as to say to His disciples, As leaven changes into its own kind much wheat flour, so shall you change the whole world. Note here the wisdom of the Savior; He first brings instances from nature proving that as the one is possible so is the other. And He says not simply 'put,' but hid; as much as to say, So you, when you shall be cast down by your enemies, then you shall overcome them. And so leaven is kneaded in, without being destroyed, but gradually changes all things into its own nature; so shall it come to pass with your preaching. Fear you not then because I said that many tribulations shall come upon you, for so shall you shine forth, and shall overcome them all. He says, three measures, to signify a great abundance; that definite number standing for an indefinite quantity.

JEROME; The 'satum' is a kind of measure in use in Palestine containing one modius and a half.

AUG; Or, the leaven signifies love, because it causes activity and fermentation; by the woman He means wisdom. By the three measures He intends either those three things in man, with the whole heart, with the whole soul, with the whole mind; or the three degrees of fruitfulness, the hundred-fold, the sixty-fold, the thirty-fold; or those three kinds of men, Noah, Daniel, and Job.

RABAN; He says, Until the whole was leavened, because that love implanted in our mind ought to grow until it changes the whole soul into its own perfection; which is begun here, but is completed hereafter.

JEROME; Or otherwise, the woman who takes the leaven and hides it, seems to me to be the Apostolic preaching, or the Church gathered out of diverse nations. She takes the leaven, that is, the understanding of the Scriptures, and hides it in three measures of meal, that the three, spirit, soul,, and body, may be brought into one, and may not differ among themselves. Or otherwise. we read in Plato that there are three parts in the soul - reason, anger, and desire - so we also if we have received the evangelic leaven of Holy Scripture, may possess in our reason prudence, in our anger hatred against vice, in our desire love of the virtues, and this will all come to pass by the Evangelic teaching which our mother Church has held out to us. I will further mention an interpretation of some; that the woman is the Church, who has mingled the faith of man in three measures of meal, namely, belief in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; which when it has fermented into one lump, brings us not to a threefold God, but to the knowledge of one Divinity. This is a pious interpretation; but parables and doubtful solutions of dark things can never bestow authority on dogmas.

HILARY; Or otherwise, the Lord compares Himself to leaven; for leaven is produced from meal, and communicates the power that it has received to heap of its own kind. The woman, that is the Synagogue, taking this leaven hides it, that is by the sentence of death; but it working in the three measures of meal, that is equally in the Law, the Prophets, and the Gospels, makes all one; so that what the Law ordains, the Prophets announce, that is fulfilled in the developments of the Gospels. But many, as I remember, have thought that the three measures refer to the calling of the three nations, out of Shem, Ham, and Japhet. But I hardly think that the reason of the thing will allow this interpretation; for though these three nations have indeed been called, yet in them Christ is shown and not hidden, and in so great a multitude of unbelievers the whole cannot be said to be leavened.

34. All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them.
35. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

CHRYS; After the foregoing parables, that none might think that Christ was bringing forward anything new, the Evangelist quotes the Prophet, foretelling even this His manner of preaching: Mark's words are, And with many such parables He spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it (Mark 4:33). So marvel not that, in speaking of the kingdom, He uses the similitudes of a seed, and of leaven) for He was discoursing to common men, and who needed to be led forward by such aids.

REMIG; The Greek word 'Parable,' is rendered in Latin 'Similitude,' by which truth is explained; and an image or representation of the reality is set forth.

JEROME; Yet He spoke not in parables to the disciples, but to the multitude; and even to this day the multitude hears in parables; and therefore it is said, And without a parable He did not speak to them.

CHRYS; For though He had spoken many things not in parables, when not speaking before the multitudes, yet at this time He spoke nothing without a parable.

AUG; Or, this is said, not that He uttered nothing in plain words; but that He concluded no one discourse without introducing a parable in the course of it, though the chief part of the discourse might consist of matter not figurative. And we may indeed find discourses of His parabolic throughout, but none direct throughout. And by a complete discourse, I mean, the whole of what He says on any topic that may be brought before Him by circumstances, before He leaves it and passes to a new subject. For sometimes one Evangelist connects what another gives as spoken at different times; the writer having in such a case followed not the order of events, but the order of connection in his own memory.

The reason why He spoke in parables the Evangelist subjoins, saying, That it might be fulfilled that was spoken by the Prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.

JEROME; This passage is taken from the seventy-seventh Psalm. I have seen copies which read, 'by Esaias the Prophet,' instead of what we have adopted, and what the common text has by the Prophet?

REMIG; From which reading Porphyry took an objection to the believers; Such was your Evangelist's ignorance, that he imputed to Isaiah what is indeed found in the Psalms.

JEROME; But because the text was not found in Isaiah, his name was, I suppose, therefore erased by such as had observed that. But it seems to me that it was first written thus, 'As was written by Asaph the Prophet, saying'; for the seventy-seventh Psalm out of which this text is taken is ascribed to Asaph the Prophet; and that the copyist not understanding Asaph, and imputing it to error in the transcription, substituted the better known name Isaiah. For it should be known that not David only, but those others also whose names are set before the Psalms, and hymns and songs of God, are to be considered prophets, namely, Asaph, Idithum, and Heman the Esraite, and the rest who are named in Scripture. And so that which is spoken in the Lord's person, I will open my mouth in parables, if considered attentively, will be found to be a description of the departure of Israel out of Egypt, and a relation of all the wonders contained in the history of Exodus. By which we learn, that all that is there written may be taken in a figurative way, and contains hidden sacraments; for this what the Savior is there made to preface by the words, I will open my mouth in parables.

GLOSS; As though He had said, I who spoke before by the Prophets, now in My own person will open My mouth in parables, and will bring forth out of My secret store mysteries which have been hidden ever since the foundation of the world.

Catena Aurea Matthew 13

The Paradise

Lucas Cranach the Elder

1530
Limewood, 81 x 114 cm
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

St. Pedro Poveda Castroverde was
killed on this day in 1936. After his
ordination he traveled to Spain where he
worked to educate the poor. During the
Spanish Revolution anti-Catholic forces
arrested him and shot him for being a
priest.

Day 227 - What does it mean for a Christian to be baptized with a particular name? // Why do Jews celebrate the Sabbath?

What does it mean for a Christian to be baptized with a particular name?

"In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit", the person is baptized with a name. The name and the face are ultimately what make a person unique, even in God's sight. "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine" (Is 43:1).

Christians treat the name of a person reverently, because the name is profoundly connected with that person's identity and dignity. From time immemorial Christians have selected names for their children from the list of the saints; they do so in the belief that the patron saint is an example for them and will intercede with God for them in a special way.

Why do Jews celebrate the Sabbath?

The sabbath is for the people of Israel the great sign commemorating God, the Creator and Redeemer.

The sabbath recalls in the first place the seventh day of creation, when God "rested, and was refreshed" (Ex 31:17), this, so to speak, authorizes all men to interrupt their work and replenish their energies. Even slaves were supposed to be allowed to observe the Sabbath. This recalls the second great commemorative sign, the liberation of Israel from slavery in Egypt: "You shall remember that you [yourself] were a servant in the land of Egypt ... " (Dt 5:15). The Sabbath is therefore a feast of human freedom; on the Sabbath all breathe freely; on it the division of the world into masters and slaves is abolished. In traditional Judaism this day of freedom and rest is also a sort of foretaste of the world to come. (YOUCAT questions 361-362)

Dig Deeper: CCC section (2168-2172) and other references here.

Part 3: Life in Christ (1691 - 2557)

Section 2: The Ten Commandments (2052 - 2557)

Chapter 1: You Shall Love the Lord Your God with All Your Heart, and with All Your Soul, and with All Your Mind (2083 - 2195)

Article 3: The Third Commandment (2168 - 2195)

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work.⁹⁰

The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.⁹¹ ⇡

I. THE SABBATH DAY ⇡

346-348
(all)

2168

The third commandment of the Decalogue recalls the holiness of the sabbath: "The seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD."⁹²

90.

Ex 20:8-10; cf. Deut 5:12-15.

91.

92.

In speaking of the sabbath Scripture recalls creation: "For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it."⁹³

93.

Ex 20:11.

2170

Scripture also reveals in the Lord's day a memorial of Israel's liberation from bondage in Egypt: "You shall remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out thence with mighty hand and outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the sabbath day."⁹⁴

94.

Deut 5:15.

2171

God entrusted the sabbath to Israel to keep as a sign of the irrevocable covenant.⁹⁵ The sabbath is for the Lord, holy and set apart for the praise of God, his work of creation, and his saving actions on behalf of Israel.

95.

Cf. Ex 31:16.

2184
(all)

2172

God's action is the model for human action. If God "rested and was refreshed" on the seventh day, man too ought to "rest" and should let others, especially the poor, "be refreshed."⁹⁶ The sabbath brings everyday work to a halt and provides a respite. It is a day of protest against the servitude of work and the worship of money.⁹⁷

96.

Ex 31:17; cf. 23:12.

97.

Cf. Neh 13:15-22; 2 Chr 36:21.

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for:July 28, 2014
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: O God, protector of those who hope in you, without whom nothing has firm foundation, nothing is holy, bestow in abundance your mercy upon us and grant that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may use the good things that pass in such a way as to hold fast even now to those that ever endure. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

RECIPES

o Wayside Inn Pie

ACTIVITIES

o Religion in the Home for Elementary School: July

o Religion in the Home for Preschool: July

PRAYERS

o July Devotion: The Precious Blood

o Novena In Honor of Saint John Marie Vianney

· Ordinary Time: July 28th

· Monday of the Seventeenth Week of Ordinary Time

Old Calendar: Saints Nazarius and Celsus, martyrs; Saints Victor I, martyr, and Innocent I popes

According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of Sts. Nazarius and Celsus, first century martyrs, whose bodies were found by St. Ambrose in 395. It is also the feast of Sts. Victor I and Innocent I both Popes of the early Church. St. Victor I was pope from 189 to 198; he regulated the date for the celebration of Easter throughout the Church in accordance with the Roman tradition. St. Innocent I (401-417), a contemporary of St. Augustine and St. Jerome, was one of the greatest early popes. He was one of the great champions of the primacy of the Holy See.

Sts. Nazarius and Celsus
Nazarius was baptized by the blessed Pope Linus. He went into Gaul, and there baptized a child named Celsus whom he had instructed in the Christian doctrine. Together they went to Treves, and in Nero's persecution were both thrown into the sea, but were saved by a miracle. They proceeded to Milan, where they spread the faith of Christ; and as they with great constancy confessed Christ to be God, the prefect, Anolinus, condemned them to death. Their bodies were buried outside the Roman gate, and for a long time remained unknown. But through a divine revelation they were found by St. Ambrose, sprinkled with fresh blood, as if they had but just suffered martyrdom. They were translated to the city and buried in an honorable tomb.

Excerpted from The Liturgical Year, Abbot Gueranger O.S.B.

Symbols: Swords; armour and millstones.

St. Victor I

Victor, an African by birth, governed the Church in the time of the Emperor Severus. He confirmed the decree of Pius I, which ordered Easter to be celebrated on a Sunday. Later on, Councils were held in many places in order to bring this rule into practice, and finally the first Council of Nicea commanded that the feast of Easter should be always kept after the fourteenth day of the moon, lest the Christians should seem to imitate the Jews. Victor ordained that, in case of necessity, baptism could be given with any water, provided it was natural. He expelled from the Church the Byzantine, Theodosius the currier, who taught that Christ was only man. He wrote on the question of Easter, and some other small works. In two ordinations which he held in the month of December, he made four priests, seven deacons, and twelve bishops for different places. He was crowned with martyrdom, and buried in the Vatican on the fifth of the Calends of August, after having sat nine years, one month, and twenty-eight days. He died in the year 199 A.D.

Excerpted from The Liturgical Year, Abbot Gueranger O.S.B.

St. Innocent I

Innocent was born in Albano, Italy. He lived during the time of Saints Jerome and Augustine. He became Pope, on December 22, 401. Jerome, writing to the virgin Demetrias, says of him: "Hold fast to the faith of holy Innocent, who is the son of Anastasius of blessed memory and his successor in the apostolic throne; receive no strange doctrine, however shrewd and prudent you may think yourself."

During his pontificate, Innocent emphasized papal supremacy, praising the bishops of Africa for referring the decrees of their councils at Carthage and Milevis in 416 that condemned Pelagianism, to the pope for confirmation. This confirmation stirred St. Augustine to pen his famous remark: "Roma locuta, causa finita est" (Rome has spoken, the matter is ended).

Innocent was pope during the capture and sack of Rome by the Goths under Alaric in 410. He condemned the heresies of Pelagius and Celestinus, decreeing that children, even though born of a Christian mother, must be born again by water, in order that their second birth may cleanse away the stain they have contracted by the first. He also approved the observance of fasting on the Saturday in memory of the burial of Christ our Lord. He fought the unjust removal of Saint John Chrysostom and spoke strongly in favor of clerical celibacy. He sat fifteen years, one month, and ten days. Innocent died in Rome, March 12, 417 and was buried in the cemetery called ad Ursum Pileatum.

Some material excerpted from The Liturgical Year, Abbot Gueranger O.S.B.

Symbols: Angel holding a crown.

Things to Do:

Read four letters of Correspondence between Innocent and Saint John Chrysostom.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Matthew 13:31-35

17th Week in Ordinary Time

It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. (Matthew 13:32)

Solanus Casey (1870–1957) was what some would consider a “small seed.” The son of a farmer, he became a Capuchin priest. But because his grades weren’t all that good, he was ordained a “simplex” priest—he could celebrate Mass, but he was not permitted to preach dogmatic sermons or hear confessions. Still, Casey showed himself to be very intelligent and very good at dealing with other people. After several assignments, he was sent to a parish in Detroit, Michigan, where his main job was porter. He was, for all intents and purposes, a priest-doorman.

But what other priests might have considered a humiliation, Casey took in stride. During his twenty years in Detroit, Fr. Solanus Casey came to be revered as a humble, wise priest filled with spiritual insight. His position as porter was the perfect one for people to visit him—and thousands came as reports of healings and miracles began to spread. When he died, 20,000 people attended his funeral. This simple, unassuming man touched countless lives!

The key to Casey’s ministry was his “smallness,” his willingness to be planted in whatever ground God had chosen for him. Being a porter was certainly not what he had in mind for himself as a young man, but he accepted God’s vision, and the results were stupendous. Here was a living testament to Jesus’ promise: “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit” (John 12:24).

We can all follow Solanus Casey’s path to holiness because it is the path of the gospel. It’s only a matter of looking for Jesus in the “small” situations we already find ourselves in. Every moment can be holy. Every task can be filled with divine light. Welcome the Lord into those situations. Listen for the inspiration of his Spirit. No matter where you are or at what stage you are in your life, you can bear awesome fruit for his kingdom.

“Lord, I want to be your servant, so do with me as you will. Help me not to seek reputation or renown, only the satisfaction of doing your will.”

Jeremiah 13:1-11; (Psalm) Deuteronomy 32:18-21

Marriage=One Man and One Woman 'Til Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for July 28, 2014:

When you are not able to be sexually intimate (illness, fatigue, wrong time of the month, separation, not in the mood…), how do you still express love to your spouse? Find a creative way to express your love today.

Regnum Christi

Quiet but Steady Growth

U. S. A. | SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

July 28, 2014.Monday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

Matthew 13:31-35

Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds. "The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the birds of the sky come 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 crowds 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.

Introductory Prayer: Lord, I come into your presence seeking to know you better. I believe that you take the lead in seeking me. You want me to find you. I trust that in your mercy you will bring me to intimacy with you. I open my heart today to receive your friendship.

Petition: Lord, teach me to long for your Kingdom and your holiness.

1. Quietly Becoming Strong: The Kingdom of Christ is not a very visible and flashy organization in the world. It is above all a spiritual force. It works quietly yet powerfully in the hearts of those who receive it. By living faith, hope and charity, Christians discover that the generous response to the voice of Christ in their consciences builds a life that has strength and substance. Living the Christian faith makes a person strong in the midst of difficulties and even able to sustain others in their life’s journey. Am I allowing the Kingdom to grow in my heart in such a way that I can quietly sustain others by my values and my charity?

2. Hidden Expansion: As we allow Christ to reign in our hearts more each day, we find that his influence affects not only our internal attitudes but also the people around us. This world becomes more of a caring, compassionate place. Truth is sown. People are reminded of God’s presence and love. This world becomes more a place where others can find God. It is a quiet transformation of the world, but relentless, like the rising of the dough through the action of yeast. Am I constant in allowing the values of the Kingdom to transform the way I deal with others? Do I have confidence in the transforming power of the Gospel?

3. Revealing Secrets: By speaking in in parables Christ helps us understand that God’s kingdom is real and accessible. God has a plan to reign in our hearts, and the fulfillment of this plan is within our reach through his grace. The secret to fruitfulness in our lives lies in our openness and cooperation with God’s grace. It is within our grasp if we would exercise our faith. Christ has come to open our horizons to God’s grace. Are we showing our thankfulness by doing his will?

Conversation with Christ: Lord, I believe in your kingdom. I know that it continues to grow by the power of your grace. Help me to work with confidence today, knowing that by sowing with faith, hope and love, I am allowing you to do great things in the world around me.

Resolution: Today I will speak of God’s goodness explicitly with someone whom I meet.

Homily of the Day

July 28, 2014

From little things come great things. With the parable of the mustard seed, Jesus shows us that the Kingdom of God begins or starts in little steps, but it must be seen, it must be visible and noticed in the world. It must spread, be fruitful like a tree giving shade to the birds and protecting them with its foliage. We believers must show through our love the signs of the kingdom; sign of peace, love and forgiveness. Jesus also said, “Let your light shine” We must not enclose ourselves like ghettoes but spread out our goodness to be useful to the people.

Every baker sees the usefulness of yeast in baking bread. Yeast is given as an example for the growth of the Kingdom. By living the gospel values, we spread goodness, peace, love. By sharing love with others, we increase goodness and we multiply it. “Yeast transforms human history by infusing into human activity the spirit which gives life to humankind (CCB)………”
Are we this little mustard seed? Do we make this mustard seed grow in our homes, schools, and work places? “Let your light shine that they may see your good works and give glory to the Father,” and others will do the same. Then, they will say- “There is the Kingdom.” Where there is love, there is God.

One Bread, One Body

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Jeremiah 13:1-11
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SEEDING IS BELIEVING

"The reign of God is like a mustard seed which someone took and sowed in his field." —Matthew 13:31

The Lord is looking for someone to sow a mustard seed. Physically, this is light work, for thousands of mustard seeds weigh almost nothing. However, sowing a mustard seed is hard work spiritually. When someone sows a mustard seed, he appears to be doing nothing. Although he knows he is doing something, he himself feels as if he is doing something which amounts to nothing. He is strongly tempted to despise "small beginnings" (Zec 4:10).

Like Jesus, the Suffering Servant and the Messiah, the sower of a mustard seed feels he has "toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent" his strength (Is 49:4). The life of a mustard seed sower is hidden in Christ (Col 3:3) and appears useless and hopeless. Nevertheless, the Lord promises a mustard seed sower: "I will make you a light to the nations, that My salvation may reach to the ends of the earth" (Is 49:6).

Some of you reading this feel discouraged that we are still light-years away from the amazing justice and freedom which is part of the kingdom of God. However, put the drop of your life into the ocean of God's love. God will multiply it to transform the world.

Prayer: Father, I will give You my best even when no one but You knows what I'm doing.

Promise: "I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to Me, says the Lord; to be My people, My renown, My praise, My beauty." —Jer 13:11

Praise: When his wife died John's friends and family expected him to drink again, but his faith in God kept him sober.

"What you do to the unborn child, you do to Jesus."

- Mother Teresa of Calcutta