One of my favorite tools as a life coach is sharing stories. I share these stories purposefully. There’s a secret to tell stories powerfully in coaching: Leave it open-ended. Don’t tell the moral of the story.

Why? Because you want the listener to fill in the story with what the listener needs at that time. Give them the opportunity to create their own conclusion.

Once, I shared a story about how my Bible reflection spoke to me. A friend responded to my story this way: “What I realized from your story is . . . Jesus was burned out and that He just needed to allow Himself some rest.” In reality, I didn’t think Jesus was burned out, but I kept quiet about it. Why? Because that’s how the Holy Spirit spoke to my friend. I didn’t want to get in the way of her learning.

Likewise, by reading God’s stories and chewing on them, I allow His Word to nourish me. In turn, I share the stories of how God speaks to me.

What’s your God story? Edwin S. Soriano (hello@edwinsoriano.com)

reflect

How can you share your God stories? Without attachments, how can you let others gain what they need to learn from them?

Lord, You write a beautiful story. May I listen more and complete the story wherever and whenever I am.

St. Thomas Aquinas, priest and Doctor of the Church, pray for us.

David has his weaknesses. He desired Bathsheba and this led him to commit adultery and murder. This tragic flaw in David’s character is an example of how we act when confronted by our sinfulness. As we reflect on this reading, may we realize that it is difficult to overcome sin and temptation. Let us ask for God’s grace to fight the lure of the flesh and the world.

¹ At the turn of the year, when kings go out on campaign, David sent out Joab along with his officers and the army of Israel, and they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. David, however, remained in Jerusalem. ² One evening David rose from his siesta and strolled about on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing, who was very beautiful. ³ David had inquiries made about the woman and was told, “She is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam, and wife of Joab’s armor bearer, Uriah the Hittite.” ⁴ Then David sent messengers and took her. When she came to him, he had relations with her. She then returned to her house. ⁵ But the woman had conceived, and sent the information to David, “I am with child.” ⁶ David therefore sent a message to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent Uriah to David. ⁷ When he came, David questioned him about Joab, the soldiers, and how the war was going, and Uriah answered that all was well. ⁸ David then said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and bathe your feet.” Uriah left the palace, and a portion was sent out after him from the king’s table. ⁹ But Uriah slept at the entrance of the royal palace with the other officers of his lord, and did not go down to his own house. ¹⁰ David was told that Uriah had not gone home. ¹³ On the day following, David summoned him, and he ate and drank with David, who made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his bed among his lord’s servants, and did not go down to his home. ¹⁴ The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab which he sent by Uriah. ¹⁵ In it he directed: “Place Uriah up front, where the fighting is fierce. Then pull back and leave him to be struck down dead.” ¹⁶ So while Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah to a place where he knew the defenders were strong. ¹⁷ When the men of the city made a sortie against Joab, some officers of David’s army fell, and among them Uriah the Hittite died.

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6, 6-7, 10-11

R: Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

³ Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. ⁴ Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me. (R) ⁵ For I acknowledge my offense, and my sin is before me always: ⁶ “Against you only have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight.” (R) I have done such evil in your sight that you are just in your sentence, blameless when you condemn. ⁷ True, I was born guilty, a sinner, even as my mother conceived me. (R) ¹⁰ Let me hear the sounds of joy and gladness; the bones you have crushed shall rejoice. ¹¹ Turn away your face from my sins, and blot out all my guilt. (R)

Gospel | Mark 4:26-34

Jesus uses parables to explain the nature of God’s Kingdom. He focuses on one aspect of the Kingdom at a time. Today, we see how the goodness of the Kingdom exists with evil and sin. However, God does not destroy everything. He patiently waits until the end of time to make His judgment. God’s patience gives us sinners a chance to repent and change our ways.

Gospel Acclamation

Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.

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 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, ast hey were able to understand it. 34 Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.

Read the Bible in one year! Read GENESIS 10 - 12 today.

Jesus faces rejection and failure. Relatives and political leaders turn against Him. His small group of disciples have difficulties understanding His message. Was everything He had said and done useless? And in Mark’s Roman community, similar doubts arose. The persecution of Nero was eating up the frightened Christian community. Where is the Kingdom of God in all this mess?

Into this situation, Jesus brings hope by speaking through parables: “Don’t despair. Trust! The Kingdom of God is growing, slowly but surely.”

Nothing’s more powerful than natural growth. It is slow but unstoppable. The roots of a tree can eventually crack cemented roads.

A kind of despair might grab us also. In many countries, Islam, not Christianity, is gaining ground. Western nations, once beacons of Christianity, are losing their faith. The process of globalization brings us in contact with the whole world, 24/7, and carries unfortunately many negative influences right into our homes. Where is the Kingdom of God? Vanishing?

Also, modern man is used to thinking he can do anything with technology and that immediately he must have control. We have lost the patience to wait, to let things be, to let things happen, and to give time for development. Look at Jesus—He does not have much time left to save the world and yet He attends banquets, plays with children, takes time out to be alone with His Father in prayer, attends to people who approach Him. He is the most relaxed person I know. We never see in Jesus the fretting and the anxiety we so often experience. For He knows the seed is sown, and nobody and nothing can stop it from growing.

At times we may feel that there seems to be no progress at all in our spiritual condition. Did God give up working in us? Definitely not. Only God does not adjust to our speed. He, the Creator of nature, knows that slow-growing trees are becoming the strongest trees. He asks us to trust in Him and in the power of His Word, and adjust to His timing. Fr. Rudy Horst, SVD

reflection question

Are you able to relax in God’s name and trust in Him wholeheartedly?

Lord, You have sown the seed of Your Word into my heart. Give me the patience and the trust that what You have sown will grow in me in Your time. Amen.

Today, I pray for: ____________________________________________