Reflection for Monday July 31 Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest (M): Matthew 13:31-35

Gospel: Matthew 13:31-35

Jesus proposed a 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.

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Reflection:

Almost everything in life starts small. For example, when we were born in this world we were small. Then, due to the nourishment that we received from our parents we got bigger and bigger, this is how life starts. 

What would make us grow in faith so others could benefit from us? It’s the spiritual nourishment that we give to our life. For example, we go to church and attend Holy Mass without fail and we enrich our minds by our reading of the bible. As we do these acts of faith we would be surprised to discover that we slowly grow in faith as well. And we will be further astonished that as we grow in faith we also learn how to share our faith.   

These two parables that Jesus gives us today in the gospel is a reminder for all of us. We, who all want to grow in faith. If we want to grow in faith and if we want others to benefit from our wisdom.  

We must therefore feed ourselves with our regular presence at Holy Mass, we must feed ourselves by way of regular reading of the bible and we must not forget to translate what we learn from Holy Mass and reading of the bible to actual acts of faith. 

Jesus will certainly want us all to grow in faith. But how can we grow in faith and how can others benefit from us through our faith? If we seldom attend Holy Mass and if we seldom read the bible? How can we grow in faith if we seldom pray the Rosary? And how can we grow in faith if we don’t help those who are in need most especially the poor? 

Our faith is a gift from God but we must also nurture this gift of faith by our actual acts of faith so that it could grow. – Marino J. Dasmarinas