16.06.2024 – St. Patrick Catholic Church, Largo, FL

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The Small things for the Kingdom of God

Ezekiel 17:22-24; Psalm 92, 2Cor. 5:6-10; Mk 4:26-34

Today’s readings remind us of the value of smallness, little things and small beginnings. Smallness or littleness is not only beautiful; it is also God’s chosen way of manifesting his power and establishing his reign on earth. The God we worship is the God who uses tiny things to make big things happen; the God who chooses small beginnings, insignificant events and people to achieve his purposes; the God for whom vulnerability, powerlessness and smallness are blessings rather than curses.

The first reading is taken from the prophet Ezekiel, who lived in the 6th century BC. This was a time when the Israelites were exiled from their homeland and reduced to slavery in Babylon. The prophet employs the metaphor of a small shoot becoming a mighty cedar tree to encourage his disheartened fellow Israelites to keep their hopes alive. He assures them that God has not abandoned them, that he will bring them back to their own land and make them great again: “I will plant it (the shoot) myself on the high mountain of Israel. It will sprout branches and bear fruit” (Ez 17:23).  The (sprig) shoot here refers to God’s faithful remnant, the “Anawim” or ‘little ones’, who remained steadfast in the midst of terrible adversity and became the nucleus of the restored Israel after the exile. It was from this faithful remnant that the Messiah came. By their fidelity to prayer and humble submission to God’s will, this remnant, this small shoot carried forward and purified Israel’s messianic hope. To the “anawim” it was no scandal that the Messiah was to come from a poor family and be born in a manger.

In today’s gospel from St Mark, Jesus employs the image of small seeds producing extraordinary results to explain how God’s reign grows on earth. Mark’s gospel, like the book of Ezekiel, was written at a time of persecution and crisis for the early Church to strengthen the faith of its members.  The expected Parousia – Jesus’ Second Coming – had not arrived. Many Christians were abandoning their faith, while self-appointed prophets and teachers were distorting the message of Jesus and creating confusion. The faithful few were wondering if God had abandoned them. It seemed as if the Church was doomed and the Kingdom of God a long way off.  In this context Mark recounts five parables of Jesus about the Kingdom of God and how it grows. Two of these parables appear in today’s gospel reading. The first uses the image of seed growing mysteriously by its own inner energies in the dark of the night as well as in the light of day. The second employs the image of a tiny mustard seed developing into a large shrub with wide spreading branches providing a home and shelter for the birds of the air. Both images, taken from nature, highlight the mysterious manner in which God works to achieve his purposes. God is at work even while we sleep or when we think he is asleep or has abandoned us. “Of its own accord the land produces first the shoot, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear” (Mk 4:28).

It is the great things that are always recognized. They are given awards and prizes. History records the great things. But, what about the small things, the little things that often go unnoticed and unseen. A kind word of encouragement for instance given to a weary soul in need of a wee bit of comforting. Such a small act of love sprinkled on fallow ground, sprouts a great soul revival which in turn makes more love abound. The small acts of kindness we do every day can be the catalyst for great spiritual transforming.

We also live at a time, in which the Church and all it represents is highly persecuted and under serious scrutiny. There are so many ideologies today more than ever that work against the Church and against our Faith. There is a decline in the practice of the faith and its influence on society as a result of apathy and general mistrust against the religious institutions. A time of confusion and uncertainty.  But today´s message like that time of Ezekiel is meant to encourage us, the small tiny remnant group who remain faithful. We should keep sowing the seed of evangelization no matter how tiny or insignificant we may think they are. We should continue our little ways of promoting faith. We should not feel that our mission approach is not yielding fruits. Each of us represent the tiny seeds of hope for God’s kingdom. We are all God’s seed, and in His time, we will yield wonderful results. So, let us not lose hope in the face of adversity. Like the ‘anawim’ of old, let us learn the art of vitality in smallness and increase the quality of our faith and relationships. Let us work for the coming of the Kingdom even if the desired result is not yet in sight. Let us open our eyes to the seeds emerging around us and do all in our power to nurture them.

St. Paul reminds us we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done, whether good or evil. Let us give thanks to the Lord for even the little things we have been able to do to promote and further the coming of God’s kingdom here on earth.