Bishop Barron's Gospel Reflection October 29, 2019

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

Luke 13:18-21

Friends, today’s Gospel compares the kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed. It seems to be a law of the spiritual life that God wants good things to start small and grow over time. We’re tempted to say, "You’re God. Just get on with it. Do it." But why would God work the way he does? We might attempt a few explanations. It is a commonplace of the Bible that God rejoices in our cooperation. He wants to involve us—through freedom, intelligence, creativity—in what he is doing. And so he plants seeds, and he wants us to cultivate them. "Francis, rebuild my Church." Heck, God could have rebuilt his Church, but he wanted St. Francis to get involved. God could have renewed the spiritual life of Christianity through a great infusion of grace, but he inspired St. Anthony to leave everything behind and go live alone in the desert. There’s something else. When things start small, they can fly under the radar for a time, while they gain strength and heft and seriousness. And those involved can be tested and tried. Tuesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 480 Reading 1 Rom 8:18-25 Brothers and sisters: I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us. For creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of God; for creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it, in hope that creation itself would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For who hopes for what one sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance. Gospel Lk 13:18-21 Jesus said, "What is the Kingdom of God like? To what can I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in the garden. When it was fully grown, it became a large bush and 'the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.'" Again he said, "To what shall I compare the Kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch of dough was leavened."