Matthew 13: 31-35
Jesus put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”
Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables; without a parable he told them nothing. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet:
“I will open my mouth to speak in parables;
I will proclaim what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.”
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Faith Requires Loving Care
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a mustard seed, one of the smallest seeds that grows into a tall shrub with strong branches where birds find shelter. It is a beautiful reminder that God often begins his greatest work in the smallest acts of faith, trust, and love.
Like the mustard seed, our relationship with God requires loving care and nourishment. It needs fertile soil, a heart open to God’s grace, and regular watering through daily prayer, reflection on Scripture, and the willingness to quiet ourselves so we can listen to God’s voice. Without this consistent care, our faith can become dry, and the seed God has planted in us will struggle to flourish. I find it interesting that the mustard plant’s flowers form the shape of a cross, reminding us that growth in Christ is always rooted in his love and sacrifice.
As our faith grows stronger, our lives, like the mustard plant, should offer rest, hope, and encouragement to others. Today, I invite you to notice how God is quietly working within you and to ask yourself: How am I watering the mustard seed that God has planted in my heart?
—Edith Hudson is a graduate of the Midwest Jesuit's Seminars in Ignatian Formation program, a spiritual director, and the police chief of Marquette University’s Police Department.
Prayer
Loving God,
Thank You for planting the seed of faith within each of us.
Give us the desire to open our hearts to You,
Grant us the grace to allow Your love to grow.
Give us the grace to quiet ourselves so we may hear from You,
Make us a source of rest, hope, and encouragement,
Root us firmly in our faith in You,
May we faithfully love others as you have loved us.
Amen
—Edith Hudson