Word to the Wise
Monday, July 30, 2018 - Monday in the 17th Week in Ordinary Time
[Jer 13:1-11 and Matt 13:31-35]"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." [Matthew]
Jesus spoke these two parables more than 2,000 years ago, but they are completely contemporary for me - I love to garden and bake! The smallest seed I deal with is the herb, basil, and I marvel at the transformation of that tiny seed into the wonderfully aromatic plant that sprouts from it. During the summer I regularly take leaves to freeze and then in winter I can make the Italian sauce called "pesto." In baking, I pull a jar from the refrigerator which contains that tan-colored powder which is yeast. After mixing it with flour and water and salt (sometimes a bit of sugar, too), I leave it alone and it rises. Small things can have big impacts. Jesus is offering us a very encouraging lesson.
We know that a little kindness can go a long way. A well-timed word of encouragement can enable someone to do something that was daunting to them. Most of us do not spend our lives in church but rather in the thousand-and-one activities of ordinary life. When our faith is mixed in with these, they take on a meaning that changes routine into new life for ourselves and others. This is more than being simply "nice" and "courteous." It is a way of preaching the gospel. The simple words, "God bless you!" can make someone's day or get them to think about something beyond the hum-drum! Jesus reminds us that the gospel, like the small basil seed or yeast spore has great power, but it has to be sown to grow or mixed to rise. That's our job! AMEN