Saints + Scripture

Simplex Edition | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Friday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
The Letter to the Hebrews, chapter ten, verses thirty-two thru thirty-nine;
Psalm Thirty-seven (R/. thirty-nine[a]), verses thre & four, five & six, twenty-three & twenty-four, & thirty-nine & forty;
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter four, verses twenty-six thru thirty-four.

Commentary: Gospel reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, our Gospel for today features the parable of the mustard seed.

How does God tend to work? From the very small to the very great—and by a slow, gradual process. God tends to operate under the radar, on the edges of things, quietly, clandestinely, not drawing attention to himself.

C.S. Lewis speaks to this principle. How, he asks, did God enter history? Quietly, in a forgotten corner of the Roman Empire, sneaking behind enemy lines. How was European Christianity established? Through the handful of people that listened to St. Paul in Philippi and Athens. How did the mighty Franciscan movement come to be? One odd, mystical kid who heard a voice coming from a crucifix: “Francis, rebuild my Church, which is falling into ruin.” A handful of followers joined him in his quixotic project, then dozens, then hundreds, then thousands.

So don’t be afraid to do small things at the prompting of God! Plant the seed, make the move, take the risk—take even the smallest step, and don’t worry about who notices or how much attention you’re getting. Sow the seed and leave the rest to the mercy and providence of God.

Video reflection by Jem Sullivan, Ph.D. (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.