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.”
Reflection:
When teaching His disciples to pray, Jesus instructed them to say, “Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”
In trying to explain God’s Kingdom in human terms, He reminds us of the results of planting a mustard seed or mixing a bit of yeast into flour.
Jesus is telling us that the smallest influence of God’s love has the ability to grow and permeate a relationship, a family, a village, a country, or even the world.
As children of God, we are made in His image; we are conceived with the selfless love of God within us.
Christianity is like the common cold: It is an infectious condition of the Spirit. It is not so much taught as it is caught.
If we respond to the selfless love of God that is in our hearts, if we allow it to burst forth in order to help our fellow man, then our example will set free the love of God that is in the hearts of others.
Jesus calls us to infect the world with the love and hope of God, through our personal acts of selfless love.
“But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.”   –  – Luke 10: 33-34