God’s grace met our faith as husband and wife after four-and-a-half years of fervently praying for a child. I went through stages of sadness as I questioned God’s faithfulness to us until I fully surrendered to His will for us.

It was one glorious morning when the pregnancy test produced two lines. We were pregnant—finally!

In retrospect, I was so focused on getting my prayer answered that I forgot to enjoy the season of waiting.

I failed to revel in the journey toward God’s sweet yes. I realized that His pruning was necessary to strip me of my insecurities and doubts. He had to remove my pride and discontent so He could replace it with hope and trust.

Sometimes, God takes our woundedness and uses them as seeds to bring forth fruitfulness and beauty in our life. Trust that He never fails to fulfill His Word and everything happens in His most perfect time. Love Cosio (lovelynmcosio@gmail.com)

reflect

Are you too focused on the destination that you forget to appreciate the beauty of your journey?

Lord, search my heart and make it like Yours even if it means experiencing pain to purify my soul. Amen.

St. Anthony of Padua, priest and Doctor of the Church, pray for us.

First Reading | Ezekiel 17:22-24

God is our life’s basis and inspiration. He gives us life and we continue to exist because of His loving mercy. John’s Gospel tells us that without God, we can do nothing (John 15:5). In today’s reading, Ezekiel told the people to rely on God for their lives and prosperity. He reminded them to be grateful in good and bad times—grateful for the gift of life. Sin is our only real enemy, never God, as He is always on our side.

²² Thus says the Lord God:I, too, will take from the crest of the cedar, from its topmost branches tear off a tender shoot, and plant it on a high and lofty mountain; ²³ on the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it. It shall put forth branches and bear fruit, and become a majestic cedar. Birds of every kind shall dwell beneath it, every winged thing in the shade of its boughs. ²⁴ And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the Lord, bring low the high tree, lift high the lowly tree, wither up the green tree, and make the withered tree bloom. As I, the Lord, have spoken, so will I do.

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 92:2-3, 13-14, 15-16

R: Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.

2 It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praise to your name, Most High, ³ to proclaim your kindness at dawn and your faithfulness throughout the night. (R) ¹³ The just one shall flourish like the palm tree, like a cedar of Lebanon shall he grow. ¹⁴ They that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. (R) ¹⁵ They shall bear fruit even in old age; vigorous and sturdy shall they be, ¹⁶ declaring how just is the Lord, my Rock, in whom there is no wrong. (R)

Second Reading | 2 Corinthians 5:6-10

There is no absolute proof of God’s existence. We walk by faith, not by sight, says Paul. Our faith is the basis of our relationship with God. Without faith, we are on our own. While it seems we can do whatever we want, this question arises: Is what we want really the best thing for us? For those who trust in God, His will is the source of fulfillment and happiness. Without Him, there is no true fulfillment in life.

⁶ Brothers and sisters: We are always courageous, although we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, ⁷ for we walk by faith, not by sight. ⁸ Yet we are courageous, and we would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord. ⁹ Therefore, we aspire to please him, whether we are at home or away. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil.

Gospel | Mark 4:26-34

Only God can make our faith grow and develop. Our growth in holiness and the building of the Kingdom is His work and responsibility. No matter how hard we try, we cannot make ourselves holy; only He can.We cannot change our sinful state; only His mercy can. Let us surrender to Him and find our true selves and our life’s fulfillment.

Gospel Acclamation

The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower. All who come to him will live forever.

²⁶ Jesus said to the crowds: “This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land ²⁷ and would sleep and rise night and day and through it all the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. ²⁸ Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. ²⁹ And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come.” ³⁰ He said, “To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? ³¹ It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. ³² But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.” ³³ With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. ³⁴ Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.

Reflect:

“Faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains.” (Matthew 17:20)

Read the Bible in one year! Read 1 KINGS 17 - 18 today.

To illustrate the Kingdom of God, Jesus uses images that speak to us of our potential to be active members in its mission. It is clear that to have faith in God is all about having a personal encounter with Him. Men and women of faith have chosen to allow an encounter with God, giving Him the opportunity to transform their lives.

At the heart of the Church’s understanding of the Kingdom of God is the idea of a relationship—each individual with God. Once this relationship is established, it is possible to work on our relationships with one another within the context of our common faith in God. The image of a growing seed used in today’s Gospel highlights the idea of potential. We all know seeds grow into something much bigger. If we allow our relationship with God to grow and mature, this is what we will experience—a fulfilling relationship within the bounds of the Kingdom of God.

Jesus focuses His ministry on forming the twelve disciples He has chosen to carry on His mission once He leaves. God continues to work with us one-on-one so we can be formed according to our gifts, talents, and calling, making us prepared to contribute to the work of the Kingdom of God.

As disciples of Jesus, we should seek to learn where our next growth opportunity will be and focus our attention to it. It is up to us to take responsibility for this faith aspect and “run with it,” so to speak. Unless we remain proactive in this regard, we will never grow in our faith. We will forever look at people who are growing in discipleship and wonder what they have that we do not have. The answer is simple—the willingness to step out into the unknown and take the risk of trying to discover where God is calling us to serve. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

reflection questions

When was the last time you took a risk in your service for the Kingdom of God? Are you willing to take a risk to move forward in your faith?

Jesus, help me to learn Your will for my life and have the courage and strength to take the necessary risks to bring Your vision to fruition. Amen.

Today, I pray for: ____________________________________________________