Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 92
Reading I
Thus says the Lord GOD:
I, too, will take from the crest of the cedar,
from its topmost branches tear off a tender shoot,
and plant it on a high and lofty mountain;
on the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it.
It shall put forth branches and bear fruit,
and become a majestic cedar.
Birds of every kind shall dwell beneath it,
every winged thing in the shade of its boughs.
And all the trees of the field shall know
that I, the LORD,
bring low the high tree,
lift high the lowly tree,
wither up the green tree,
and make the withered tree bloom.
As I, the LORD, have spoken, so will I do.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (cf. 2a) Lord, it is good to
give thanks to you.
It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
to sing praise to your name, Most High,
To proclaim your kindness at dawn
and your faithfulness throughout the night.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
The just one shall flourish like the palm tree,
like a cedar of Lebanon shall he grow.
They that are planted in the house of the LORD
shall flourish in the courts of our God.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
They shall bear fruit even in old age;
vigorous and sturdy shall they be,
Declaring how just is the LORD,
my rock, in whom there is no wrong.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
Reading II
Brothers and sisters:
We are always courageous,
although we know that while we are at home in the body
we are away from the Lord,
for we walk by faith, not by sight.
Yet we are courageous,
and we would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord.
Therefore, we aspire to please him,
whether we are at home or away.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,
so that each may receive recompense,
according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower.
All who come to him will live forever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Jesus said to the crowds:
“This is how it is with the kingdom of God;
it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land
and would sleep and rise night and day
and through it all the seed would sprout and grow,
he knows not how.
Of its own accord the land yields fruit,
first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once,
for the harvest has come.”
He said,
“To what shall we compare the kingdom of God,
or what parable can we use for it?
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”
With many such parables
he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.
Without parables he did not speak to them,
but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,
It is far easier to have faith and trust in God when times are good and there are no challenges that face us. It is when things are bad and there is a feeling of doom around every corner that our faith will be tested. A right relationship with God in good times and bad times is encouraged so that we may be ever thankful in prosperity and ever vigilant in our trials. Through God joy can be encountered in all situations and an understanding that we will be okay regardless if the seas are calm or if they are rough. The definition of faith is “a belief in the unknown,” yet God does not have to be unknown. He is constantly trying to reveal himself to us in all aspects of our lives. We can either acknowledge what He is trying to do or reject it. This takes some effort on our part and some work. When life is good it is very wise to prepare for the expected and unexpected hardships in the future. If we truly belief that a reliance on God is a good thing then strengthening our relationship with Him constantly is a guarantee that we can turn to Him all of the time. He is very much like a sea wall that is there for the specific purpose when storms roll in and the water rises to unprecedented heights. At the same time, the sea wall remains in peaceful times to be enjoyed with casual strolls and picnics while taking in the scenery of the mighty ocean.
God reveals through Ezekiel that Jesus will come in all of His glory and splendor by minimizing His presence; taking the form of a slave so as to free us from bondage of self. We tend to make things more complicated than they really are. God is recognized not through His greatness but His simplicity. Jesus is the defining factor of this. He entered into this world as one of us so that we could be lifted up from the fallen nature that we received through Adam and continue to wallow in. Through His insignificance we are raised to the highest of heights to experience what it is truly like to be Sons of God. That is how powerful God is. To minimize is actually an example of His endless power. To reduce is actually to increase. A “tender shoot” is the most insignificant part of the tree but it still represents rebirth, growth, and a new beginning. Jesus is this shoot and from it pours forth the rebirth of the world. We are part of this rebirth and can experience it to its fullest if we allow ourselves to do so. This shoot can be planted within us and can grow with the right amount of tender loving care. Imagine a life where we can grow every day and renew ourselves every day all the while getting stronger. It is through us that Jesus can be seen and realized. We are conduits designed to receive Him and spread His love throughout the world.
Jesus Christ invites us to care for Him. He will plant Himself within our hearts then offer us an opportunity to take care of Him; insuring His presence will remain. The description of Him as a “shoot” and our faith as a mustard seed should not be lost on us. His presence and our acknowledgement thereof are very important. It is a two-fold relationship of giving and receiving. We are asked to take care of that presence, to nurture it, to tend to it, and insure that it grows. We are invited to be dedicated to it and to witness its results. This is a responsibility that is being offered and part of the development of the relationship that is expected if the seed of Jesus Christ is to be strengthened within us. Even though the initial steps might appear to be inconsequential or insignificant, they are in actuality massive in their results. What appear to be small adjustments in the beginning will be revealed to be gargantuan in nature.
There will be good times and bad times in our lives. This should be expected. Nobody in God’s Creation is without crisis. As Christians to suffer is to be with Jesus Christ. For every moment of elation there will be dread. It is unavoidable. It is up to us to determine if our conduct is going to remain the same throughout these periods of opposites. Faith is not something that should be relied upon only in times of crisis but should be focused on all of the time. A good harvest and a bad harvest demand the same attention. If a bad harvest comes it must be received in much the same way a good harvest is: with pre-planning, nurturing, and an expectation of hard work. Those who prepare for the bad times will experience as much joy as in the good times. There will be no separation of the two but a new acceptance. It starts with small steps and leads to great strides with the focus constantly on faith and a trust in God.
Deacon Tom
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