Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
A Reflection from the Fuel Daily Readings App for the 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Click here to read the reading.
A while ago I tried to grow a basil plant from seed. I remember watering and waiting, and after a few days, it sprouted. I was so excited at my little plant that I kept watering it and looking after it, and watching it grow. But after a few weeks, when life got busy, when I had errands to run and people to see, I forgot to water it.
After a while, I went back to my plant to find it had almost shrivelled up, been picked at by birds, and was barely clinging on. I had a decision to make; throw it out entirely and go on as if I never had it, or water it again and see what happens.
Faith and community are a similar sort of thing. If we water it with Mass, prayer, talking to Jesus and sharing with each other, it grows. If we leave it for weeks and don’t bother, putting our own stresses, worries and wants before our faith and community, it can begin to shrivel up and we lose motivation for it.
In this Gospel, Jesus is calling us to mission, community and evangelism to build His kingdom. A mustard seed is tiny, but they actually grow into giant bushes – much larger than my little basil plant.
Sometimes, it can feel like we’re just one person – a teeny tiny little mustard seed. Sometimes we can feel quite isolated in our faith, especially when it gets tough. It can feel like the world is totally against us. But together, we start to grow and can transform into something bigger and bolder. That’s why sharing in community and sharing with those who haven’t met Jesus yet is super important. We’re stronger together.
The genuine, authentic love of Jesus is infectious. It draws people in – that’s what builds the kingdom of Heaven. Joy in Christ can be a witness to people! We can rest peacefully in the knowledge that Jesus is building up His kingdom but let us be instruments in that and proclaim boldly and contagiously with our lives.
+ Jesus, make us instruments of your love today so that we can go into the world with courage and joy. Help us build your kingdom so that everyone may come to know how much You love them. In Your name, Amen