Welcoming the Holy
Here we invite you to take time for yourself in personal prayer. The following spiritual reflection offers words and images which we hope will evoke for you an experience of God.
By: Sister Ruth Maier
“The seed is the Word of God; Christ is the sower.”
Opening Prayer
God of strength and of hope, graciously hear our prayer. Grant us always the help of Your grace, that following Your commands, we may please You by our deeds. We make our prayer through Jesus, the Christ, our Lord and Brother. Amen.
Scripture
Mark 4: 26 – 34
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.
Reflection
Mark’s Gospel tells us that Jesus taught in parable as we read today, “without parables he did not speak to them.”
Jesus told stories (parables) to make His point. Stories helped make His message easier to understand. These stories drew the people into the message, inviting further reflection. They challenged listeners to think more deeply about the meaning of His teaching for their own lives.
It is seed planting time in our world. Farmers in our area are tilling their fields and scattering seeds for corn, wheat, soy beans; neighbors are building their gardens, scattering seeds for peas, lettuce, squash, etc.
In this fourth Chapter of Mark, Jesus tells stories about seeds to teach us about the mystery of the kingdom of God which He has proclaimed “is at hand.” We read that the kingdom of God is like “seeds scattered on the land;” it is like a mustard seed … the smallest of all seeds … that becomes the largest of all plants.” The farmer scatters the seeds not knowing how they will grow, for it is God who gives the growth, it is God who produces the harvest.
This kingdom is not about geography or place, it is not about heaven. This kingdom is about the dynamic reality of God’s presence and power within creation, within the lives of God’s people, within our lives.
This kingdom is here – growing in our midst.
How do I know its presence?
How does it effect and shape my life?
Like the farmer, how will I “scatter the seeds” for God’s kingdom to grow in my world this week?
Closing Prayer
Creator God, You are mystery unfolding into mystery. Cradle us with Your compassion. Grow within our hearts, even as You remain beyond our understanding.
Help us to live to the fullness of life You give to us. Through Jesus, the Christ, our Lord and Brother. Amen.
