Reflection for July 27 Monday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time: 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:

Do we want to grow in faith?

The tiny mustard seed became the largest of plants, while the little yeast leavened three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch of dough had risen. In both parables, Jesus reminds us that what begins as something small can, through God's grace, grow into something extraordinary.

By virtue of the Sacrament of Baptism and the Sacrament of Confirmation, God has planted the precious seed of faith within each of us. Though it may seem small at times, that seed carries the power to transform our lives. God lovingly entrusts it to us, inviting us to nurture it each day so that it may grow, flourish, and bear fruit—not only for our own spiritual good but also for the blessing and encouragement of others.

Our loving Father continually longs for us to deepen our faith and our relationship with Him. Let us, therefore, humbly ask Jesus to grant us the grace to increase our faith. At the same time, let us faithfully do our part by living according to the teachings of the Church, participating devoutly in Holy Mass, praying the Holy Rosary, reading and reflecting on Sacred Scripture, and striving each day to put God's Word into practice through lives of love, mercy, and obedience.

When we faithfully cooperate with God's grace, our faith will continue to grow—just as the tiny mustard seed becomes a great plant and the little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough. What begins quietly within our hearts can become a powerful witness that brings hope, encouragement, and the love of Christ to those around us.

Today, let us ask ourselves: Are we allowing the seed of faith that God has planted within us to grow each day, or have we neglected it? What small step can we take today so that our faith may flourish and become a blessing to others and give greater glory to God?—Marino J. Dasmarinas