The kingdom of God is like,,,

The kingdom of God is like.    Jesus often used this expression in speaking about the kingdom of God, the reign of God.  Then Jesus told us parables to explain the mystery of the Kingdom  of God.  In today’s Gospel, Jesus told two parables drawn from agriculture which was very familiar to the people Jesus was talking to.

In today’s parables, our focus is drawn to seeds and how they grow.  The farmer sows the seeds, and miraculously they grow. 

The Bauman’s should give this homily, not by self, don’t you think.  They understand the science and the beauty of the growth of seeds far better than I.

The first parable is sometimes called the “Parable of the Seed Growing Secretly.”  “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.

The message for us is in the Kingdom of God, God is in charge.  God gives the growth.

In the second parable, the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed 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.”

The message is there is a mustard seed planted in the heart of each one of us on the day of our baptism.  It is the life of Christ Jesus that is within us.  This mustard has incredible potential to become within us the wellspring of eternal life.

A most important message is we must never forget who the sower is, whose the seed, and whose the gift of amazing grace.   Yes it is God who gives the growth.  As St. Paul in the second reading, we walk by faith, not by sight.

A couple of examples.

St Therese of Lisieux, the little flower.  She did not see herself to be the mighty rose but just a mere little sun flower, a mustard seed if you will.  Her mantra was simply to do little things with great love.  For Therese,  all is grace.  We can be assured the grace of God is at work in the most insignificant of ways.  St Therese is known as one of the great doctors in the history of the Church but she saw herself as a little flower, a mustard seed but what she is all is grace. 

In the simple ways that you serve and help and love in your family like, like Therese, do little things with great love and believe that all is grace.  The grace of God is present to you 24/7.

Another example:  the simple life of Jorge Mario Brogolio, this humble Argentinian who we probably never heard of three years ago.  The mustard seed of this simple, humble man has become Pope Francis who has exercised such a Christ-like leadership in the Church.  Who would have thought???  Pope Francis opened himself up to the plan of God for his life.

What of the mustard seed of the Church of the Holy Spirit?  We could wish for more income, more parishioners, more staff, a Catholic school and so on and so on.

Rather than feeling sorry for ourselves, we are called as a faith community to keep scattering seeds on the land as is suggested in the Gospel parables and to trust that God is in charge.  That God gives the growth.  We are celebrating our parish golden jubilee this year.  I can assure you that if we keep scattering the seeds of faith on the ground in Webster, in Penfield and we trust that God gives the growth.  When we celebrate our 100^th anniversary, this mustard will become the largest of bushes.

Do you know the expression:  Ecclesia Semper Reformanda.   The church is always in need of reform.  The Lord continuously calls to conversion, to die to ourselves a bit more so that we can more fully live in Christ Jesus.   The mustard seed is an annual, that is to say, needing constant renewal each year.  This annual need of renewal  is true of ourselves individually and, of course, of ourselves as a parish community.

Today’s scriptures are about the mystery of growth and renewal – the seed of God’s grace and love in our hearts and in the world about us.  As we worry about the Church and whether people are practicing their faith as well as we think they should, may we always deeply believe that the mustard seed of God’s grace is within us and within all.  In ways we do not know how, may we trust that God is in charge, that God gives the growth.  By all means, we like the farmer in the parable need to plant the seed in the ground and water the seeds to provide for growth. 

The way this gets translated in our parish life is yes we need to be people  of prayer.  Daily prayer needs to be part of the rhythm of our lives.  We need to provide the very best faith formation we can for young and old alike.  We need to be engaged in social  outreach that reaches out in the service of God’s poor.  This is our way of planting the seed of God’s grace and watering it.

But may we leave the results to God.  God will  give the growth perhaps  in ways beyond our understanding.  But it is God who is in charge.

Going back to the parable of the mustard seed,  “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.”

There is an image of welcome, abundant lodging and respite.  The reign of God has room for all.  There are no prerequisites or limitations.  The birds of the sky do not indicate preferences.  Anyone coming along is welcome into the reign of God to find shade and rest.  In the Church of the Holy Spirit, there is room for all.  All are welcome.