parables

God brings about the growth of his creation, us included.

Two parables are presented by Jesus today in the Gospel of Mark. Both are presenting what the kingdom of God is like. The first presents a man who sows seeds, and the second is a mustard seed that is planted. In both cases, the seeds germinate, sprout, go through the process of growth, and become mature plants. The kingdom of God is like these plants in that God works through the smallest of and many times, unnoticed beginnings. Also, God’s timing is not our timing. In our rapid-paced world of instant access, we would do well to slow down.

God not only begins small, and on his own timetable, but he often works beyond the realm of our awareness. This is evident in the first parable offered by Jesus: “This is how it is with the Kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how” (Mk 4:26-27). This is not to say that God has set everything in motion and is indifferent or despondent to his creation. Quite the opposite.

God has a plan. He has been and continues to be intimately engaged in guiding his creation and in each of our lives as well. He revealed this truth to Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you” (Jeremiah 1:5). God is present, invites us to be in relationship, and once we accept, seeks for our relationship to grow. Like the farmer in the first parable, “I have planted seeds but don’t see anything happening.” But slowly, a sprout emerges, a stalk rises, and a bud forms. We too may make an attempt at prayer and feel nothing is happening. If we intentionally make time to be with God, something is happening.

God has no need for us, and yet he has loved us into existence for our good. He invites us to know him and to participate in the spreading of his kingdom. Just think of someone who you have, for the longest time, wanted to meet. If the opportunity arose to spend time with that person, how excited would you be? How much more so if they also did not want to just meet but spend more time with you, with the intention of forming a relationship! We have the opportunity to do so with the Creator of all that exists, and not just today, or tomorrow, but for all of eternity.

God has created us to know, love, and to serve him. He invites us to be in communion with him, and to participate in his work of salvation history in simple and subtle ways. Are we aware of his invitation, are we willing to watch and pray? Are we willing to place ourselves in a posture to receive his word as well as his silence? Just as an acorn that is sown matures and grows over time into the mightiest of oaks, so may our relationship with our Loving God and Father also grow and mature that we become one with him in this life and into the next for eternity.

Photo: May we mature and flourish like these cabbage palms that even withstood the tornados of Milton.

Link for the Mass readings for Friday, January 30, 2025

We need not fear to invest our gift because Jesus is with us.

In today’s Gospel, we have available to us the parallel to The Parable of the Talents from Matthew 25:14-30, which is The Parable of the Ten Gold Coins from Luke 19:11-28. There are a few differences. A key opening point is that in Matthew’s account, we do not know why or where the master goes after he entrusted three of his servants with talents; five, two, and one respectively. In Luke’s account the man is a noble and he “went off to a distant country to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return” (Lk 19:12). He called ten servants to invest a gold coin he gave to each of them. The theme that is similar in both accounts is that when the man returns, two of the servants invested well and brought about a greater return on their investment, and one hid what he was given out of fear of his lord.

Another added feature in Luke’s account was the fellow citizens of the nobleman that did not want him to be king and openly opposed him. The nobleman after attaining his kingship and returning successfully, dealt harshly, to say the least, with those who opposed him, having them slain. Those listening to Jesus tell the parable would understand this predicted outcome, as it was not uncommon in the ancient Near East for a ruler to slay those who opposed his rise to power.

The most immediate parallel and contemporary example was the current tetrarch, Archelaus, who was placed into power in Judea and was reigning at the time of Jesus. He was a cruel tyrant. The Jewish historian, Josephus, who during the time of the Jewish Wars was captured and later became a Roman citizen wrote that there were “fifty ambassadors were sent from Judea to Rome to request that Archelaus not become king, because he had already killed three thousand Jews in quelling an uprising” (Gadenz, 320).

Just as the wicked tyrant is rejected, the innocent Messiah will also be rejected in Jerusalem, and will give his life. Jesus again appears to be presenting the contrast between the fallen nature of humanity with the coming of the new kingdom under his reign. His apostles are not to be like the corrupt leadership of the age, but they are to go out to all the nations to proclaim the good news of the kingdom.

The readings this week also continue to present eschatological talk, references to the second coming of Jesus, and final judgment because we are in the final two weeks of the liturgical year. Jesus’ reference to going away and coming back, could be a reference to his death, resurrection, ascension, and the waiting until his second coming in which there will be a judgment by God. Jesus makes clear that we are not the judge and jury, though many appropriate this role for themselves. We are only accountable for the talent or gold coin we have been entrusted with.

God has called us each uniquely by name and given us a gift that he wants us to put into action to help build up his kingdom. We need to resist burying this gift or hiding it away. The most important thing we can do each day is to pray, and deepen our relationship with God and each other. The enemy will tempt us with doubts, fears, and anxieties which we are to renounce and instead trust in Jesus, seek his strength, and guidance.

We are invited each day to begin with prayer. In the beginning, the length of time is not as important as consistently spending time with God intentionally. We show up, breathe, allow ourselves to be still, allow the restlessness of our mind to quiet, and we listen. This may take some time or days, but when we continue to return to these daily anchors and trust that God has a purpose for us, we will hear his guidance, and then we are to follow his lead.

The encouraging words of St. John Paul II are helpful: “Remember that you are never alone. Christ is with you on your journey every day of your lives!” – St. John Paul II

We are called by Jesus to be contemplatives in action. We are not to follow the lead of mediocrity and fear. With humility and patience, let us trust in the guidance of the Holy Spirit who will light our path to maturing and actualizing our unique call and as we serve God and one another we will bear good fruit.

Painting: “The Lord of the Parables” by Jorge Cocco, Altus Fine Art

Gadenz, Pablo T. The Gospel of Luke. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2018.

Link for the Mass readings for Wednesday, November 19, 2025

May we receive the word of God and nurture it so that it may grow within us.

A person can go on a walk and hear the beautiful sound of a bird and think to themselves, that is a very nice sound, enjoy it, and keep walking on. Another person may hear the bird song, actually stop, and listen for a time and then move on. Still, another person may not only hear the sound, stop, and listen, but also look in the tree to see what type of bird is making that sound, identify it as a cardinal and then walk on.

Each person experienced the bird on different levels. Even the one who stopped to appreciate its song and take the time to identify it as a cardinal, still limited himself from experiencing the deeper wonder and uniqueness of this particular cardinal. God knows though. He knows this bird intimately, as he does with the entirety of his creation, including knowing each of us better than we know ourselves.

We may hear or read Jesus begin with these words of his parable: “A sower went out to sow his seed” (Luke 8:5). Our minds may go immediately to say to ourselves, “Oh, I know this parable well,” identify it like the person identifying the cardinal, and may even appreciate the parable, but then tune out because we have heard it before or many times before. We too would then miss the greater depth and wonder of what God wants to share with us.

Jesus helps his disciples to understand the parable when he tells them, “The seed is the word of God,” and then identifies how different people hear, and then act or don’t act on the word they have received. Those on the path of hard, traveled ground, the word is stolen by the devil; those representing rocky ground which has some soil “receive the word with joy” but since there is no depth in which to root, “they believe for only a time and fall away”; and the seed that fell among thorns was choked by the anxieties, riches, and pleasures of life. The final resting place was the best, the “rich soil” symbolizing “those who embrace the word with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance” (See Luke 8:4-15).

God knows each of us, knows our deepest and authentic desires, our deepest wounds, our sins, and our greatest promise. He loves us, wants the best for us, and so shares his seed, his word, with us in many ways.

Are we willing to open our hearts and minds to receiving the wonder of Jesus’ guiding and leading, are we willing to be patient to not only receive and savor his word, but also put it into practice? Are we willing to place his word in a place of prominence within our minds and hearts so that the many diversions, anxieties, stresses, and strains don’t choke its life? Are we willing to be persistent and daily call to mind this gift God has given to us each day and allow it to flourish and grow in our lives?

More than anything else, the most important practice that we can engage in each day is prayer. Not just saying prayerful words and moving on, but receiving God’s word as he wants to give it and allow it to germinate in our hearts and minds so we may be transformed. The enemy will seek to distract, divert, and dissuade us from this gift of spending time with God to meditate, pray, and rest with him.

We need to resist these temptations, renounce them, pull them out as we would weeds and repeat the word or phrase we have received from the Bible or meditate upon a simple phrase like,  “Jesus, I Trust in You”. Give this phrase all the room it needs to breathe and grow so that we may experience the greater depth and wonder from it that God wants to share. Each day we can gain something new.

Jesus invites us in the parable of the sower to hear his word, then we can receive, rest, and abide in it. God’s word is to be our foundation such that all that we think, speak, and do is directed from God’s guidance and standard. Even when tempted, while undergoing trials and tribulations, we will not be led astray, we will not doubt or be choked, when we anchor our trust in Jesus and his love for us. We will persevere through challenging times, as well as be grateful in tranquil times.

More than just words, our prayers are to be directed to a person, Jesus, his Father and/or the Holy Spirit. Doing so will help us to remain connected to the source of our lives. We will not only trust Jesus more, but we will also know him more intimately, and continue to be transformed by his love so that we too will bear abundant fruit from the seed God has planted in us.

Photo: Leaves beginning to change here in CT. Enjoying and pondering on an afternoon walk.

Link for the Mass readings for Saturday, September 20, 2025

Forgive seven, seventy-seven, or seventy times seven times?

Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times” (Mt 18:21)?

Peter may have thought he was being quite generous in asking to forgive seven times because the custom of the time was considered to forgive someone three times. It may also sound pretty generous to us, because the usual question most of us ask is, “Do I have to forgive at all?” Many of us do not do forgiveness well, even if we recognize that it is a virtue. If someone says to us they are sorry, do we reply, “I forgive you.” Often our automatic response is, “That’s alright”, “It’s ok”, or “No problem”. When we are convicted of a mistake, error or offense, do we ask for forgiveness or operate from a defensive posture to explain away why we did what we did, or defend that what we did as right, not willing to admit any inappropriate action?

We are very habitual creatures, and much of what I shared above is learned behavior. We are conditioned and shaped since the time of our youth and even from our time in the womb. We also may recall those cases in which we feel justified in our stance of unforgiveness. Jesus will support no justification or rationalization. He will instead raise the bar for us as he did for Peter: “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times”, which can also be translated as seventy times seven. In either case, we may dismiss Jesus’ statement as mission impossible.

Yet is we are to be disciples of Jesus, we are to strive to forgive as our heavenly Father forgives. Forgive the same person seventy-seven times? Yes. If someone is seeking forgiveness, we are called to forgive. God has forgiven us and will do so unlimitedly. We are to do the same. Jesus does not mean that we don’t hold people accountable. He offered three steps of how to hold one accountable in yesterday’s readings (Matthew 18:15-20). Nor is he saying that we are to remain in a dangerous or life-threatening situation, or enable people in their self-destructive behavior.

Forgiveness has to do with not holding on to the hurt, not allowing the offense to fester as a grudge that builds to hate and negative or violent behavior. Forgiveness is also not a curse but a blessing. For when we forgive, it is an antidote to the poison someone has injected us with. If we refuse to forgive, we allow the person who has injured us to do so over and over again. In our unwillingness to forgive we allow that poison to continue to fester.

If you are struggling with holding onto a grudge and/or past hurts. One approach that may be helpful is to visualize yourself approaching the person you have the issue with and saying to them, “I forgive you”. You may also find it helpful to visualize Jesus standing beside you while you do this exercise. Repeat the process each day in your time of prayer until you start to feel yourself coming to a place of forgiveness, and can imagine that reconciliation is indeed possible.

If you find visualizing difficult, sit down and talk to Jesus. Be honest with him, tell him the situation and share with him that you do not want to forgive the person. Then ask for Jesus to help you. Embrace the sacrament of Reconciliation and confess your unwillingness to forgive. When ready, determine how best to reach out to the person to say that you forgive them; a phone call, email, text message, or in person.

A third idea that may work is to write the person a letter, whether you send it or not. Each of these practical ways provides an opportunity to approach the great gift that Jesus offers us, to forgive seventy-seven times, or to forgive each and every time we are given the opportunity to do so.

We don’t do forgiveness well. But with Jesus, we can begin again. Let us practice saying each morning, “Please forgive me, (Name)” and think of a few thoughts, words, or actions you need to be forgiven for. Then say, “I forgive you (Name), for…” and think of a few words, actions, or inactions to insert. Also, Jesus gave us a pretty good prayer: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” We are not alone. Remember, Jesus asked God to forgive those who crucified him. We can ask God to forgive those who have offended, hurt, or abused us. Then we can actually move to the point where we begin to develop the freedom of heart to say to others, “I forgive you”, and “Please forgive me.”

Photo: As God forgives us without limits we are to do the same. Looking upon the wonders of creation which none of us deserve can help come to a place of gratefulness for the love and mercy of God that we have received which can help us to forgive our brothers and sisters from the heart. Photo from the grounds of the University St. Mary of the Lake.

Link for the Mass readings for Thursday, August 14, 2025

With each small act of love, we help God to embrace one more person in need.

“The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants.” (Mt 13:31-32).

God can do so much with so little. This is so because even the smallest detail is important to God. Just think of the immensity, not only of our solar system and galaxy but the whole cosmos. Despite the grandiosity and massive expanse of all creation, not even a sparrow can fall to the ground without the notice of God. Even all the hairs of our head he has counted (cf Mt 10:29-30). Our life, who we are, and who we are becoming matters to God.

Jesus is revealing through these parables of small beginnings, seed sown in a field, a mustard seed, and yeast allude to how God begins small and often hidden to fulfill his plan of salvation. What God has begun, he will bring to fruition. The gathering in of the nations is an Old Testament theme that Ezekiel especially highlights when he shares that God will break off and plant a tender cedar shoot and from this small shoot it will become a, “majestic cedar. Every small bird will nest under it, all kinds of winged birds will dwell in the shade of its branches” (Ezekiel 17:22-23). God has a plan for the unity of all of humanity and creation and Jesus is inviting us to be a part of the collaborative effort.

God builds up his kingdom one person at a time and sows his seeds of divine grace which is a movement of the outpouring of his divine love. He watches over us, his children, and shares his life with us. We can accept or reject this love which falls afresh upon us like the morning dew upon the grass. To accept and abide in the reality that God loves us is a gift. When we say yes to the outpouring of God’s love, we become more aware of the gift already bestowed. As we experience and savor this nourishing gift of God’s love we then have something to share with others.

What we will come to realize is that as we give more of God’s love away, we receive more in return. Our smallest thoughts, words, or deeds make a significant difference to those on the receiving end of God’s love flowing through us. We have an opportunity today to think, speak, and act as bearers of our loving God and Father. We can share a smile, a word of encouragement, a wave, and/or a hug, send a text, and/or just follow through on the the myriad stirrings of the Holy Spirit and offer a simple act of the will to love and truly be present with someone. No matter how small a sharing, it will mean more than we will ever know or can even imagine to the one who receives.

Photo: This colonnade at St. Mary of the Lake is fashioned after the colonnade in St. Peter Square. Both represent the welcoming arms of the Church seeking to embrace the people of the world.

Link for the Mass readings for Monday, July 28, 2025

“Let them grow together until the harvest.”

“’Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?’ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ His slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until harvest” (Mt 13:27-30).

One of my favorite trees is the Maple. When JoAnn, the kids, and I moved to Florida over twenty years ago, the thought did not cross my mind that Maples grew in Southern Florida. A few years after we moved into our home, I was walking in our backyard and thought I saw a maple leaf. I squatted down for a closer look and found that not only was it a maple leaf but a sapling with three leaves! I carefully cleared some of the weeds and grass growing among and around it, but otherwise let it be because it was so fragile. As it grew I cleared more around it. Today it is a fully mature Swamp Maple!

A few years ago, I saw a new Maple sapling emerging, though this time, some poison ivy was growing around it. I sprayed poison ivy killer, thinking I avoided the tiny sapling. Unfortunately, I must have gotten some of the poison spray on the Maple leaves because it also shriveled up and died.

I can relate to Jesus’ parable from today’s Gospel. The master warned his servants to let the wheat and weeds grow together until they were more mature at the time of the harvest, so as not to pull up the wheat with the weeds. Weeds in this verse is translated from the original “Greek [as] zizanion [which] refers to a noxious weed that in its early stages closely resembles wheat and cannot be readily distinguished from it” (Harrington 2007, 204). This plant, darnel, as it grows along with the wheat entwines its roots with the roots of the wheat (Mitch and Sri 2010, 180). Both, in their immature state, were indistinguishable and in pulling up the weeds, there was a strong chance that the wheat would be pulled up as well.

Jesus is calling us to resist the temptation of judging one another. Even when there are those who commit heinous acts of evil, we may feel justified in our judgment and condemnation. Jesus says no. We may convict the person of their action and we are certainly to hold each other accountable, but judge and condemn, no. The Father is the ultimate arbiter and judge of someone’s salvation.

All of humanity has been created in the image and likeness of God, each of us are a unique gift to this world. We have been created good, yet all of us fall short of the glory and grace of God and because of our fallen nature we have lost our likeness to God, that likeness has dimmed. God seeks to restore our glory and our likeness which we call growing in holiness. As we do so, we are to assist others in doing the same.

God the Father will judge at the end of time between the wheat and the weeds. Let us leave the judgment to God, and let us instead be about learning and following the teachings of Jesus, repenting, and encouraging each other in the maturation process which can include, convicting others when needed, yes, but also encouraging and supporting each other to heal, be forgiven, and grow in holiness.

We need to resist falling into the temptation of condemnation and gossip and spreading poison in our misguided attempt to be of help. In dealing with one another, let us pray for patience, understanding, and seek forgiveness for our sins. Having experienced the love, mercy, and forgiveness of God, may we be willing to forgive each other. Life, even when going well, is hard. We need the encouragement and support of each other if we are to mature and actualize the fullness of who God calls us to be and strive, through God’s grace, to put his will into action. “Encourage each other while it is still today” (Hebrews 3:13).
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Photo: Some young Maples standing tall in the forefront that I came across on a Rosary walk at University of Saint Mary of the Lake.

Link for the Mass readings for Saturday, July 26, 2025

Harrington SJ, Daniel J. “The Gospel of Matthew”. In vol. 1, Sacra Pagina Series, edited by Daniel J. Harrington. Minnesota, Liturgical Press, 2007.

Mitch, Curtis and Sri, Edward. “The Gospel of Matthew”. In Catholic Commentator Series, edited by Peter S. Williamson and Mary Healy. Grand Rapids, Michigan, Baker Academic, 2010.

Trusting in Jesus will help us to heal and prepare fertile soil to receive God’s Word.

The root of the message offered in today’s Gospel is what is foundational to the beginning and continuing as a disciple of Jesus. This being the disposition of our hearts. Are we closed to receiving the message of the Gospel, or are we open to embrace the invitation Jesus shares with us to become more active in living out our faith in our everyday lives?

The exchange of Jesus with his disciples in today’s reading from Matthew comes after his sharing of the Parable of the Sower (Mt 13:1-9). In this parable, Jesus offers scenarios regarding the conditions of seeds sown. Some fell on a hardened path, some on rocky ground, some fell among thorns, and some fell on the rich soil. The seeds on the hardened path could not even germinate. Those in rocky ground and among thorns germinated and began to even sprout but would not come to full maturity. The seed that was sown in rich soil germinated, sprouted, matured, and bore fruit.

As disciples, we are meant to bear fruit and that means we need to prepare ourselves so that we will have rich soil. The beginning step is to have open hearts and minds. If we have a desire to pray, the hardened soil has given way somewhat. The seed has penetrated, died and has begun to grow. God is the originator of our prayer. The desire to spend time in prayer is good news. The devil has not stolen that from us. Now if we do not follow through on the inspiration of nor follow the nudging of the Holy Spirit, means we have some tilling to do. We need to remove the rocks of resistance, distraction, and diversion so that we can get deeper.

Daily coming to a place that we have created and set aside for ourselves to breathe and be still will help us to begin the work of facing those internal resistances and diversions. We can begin to see where are hearts and minds may have been hardened. By breathing and slowing down, we get in touch with our body and may be surprised by how tense we are. With just a few breathes we may notice that our shoulders come to a more peaceful place of rest. Our neck and our hips can begin to let go. Once we have prepared the soil, the next preparation is the weeding. Among good soil grows what has been planted, the seeds of the enemy as well as the seeds of God.

As we continue to return each day and allow God to happen, to acknowledge his presence and closeness, we can begin to then allow his light to reveal to us those thorns and other weeds that seek to choke the growth that has begun. Anxieties, worries, frustration, and reactions all choke out the peace, faith, confidence, and love that God seeks to sow and grow within us. Being diligent and disciplined in showing up, allows us to begin to feel safe in the place we have set aside. In encountering God each day, we begin to know him. In this place of stability, we come to know that God is our refuge and strength, and we begin to feel safe. From this place of safety, we can begin to face and breathe into where we notice our bodies hold anxiety, fear, and stress.

God helps us to tend the gardens of our souls patiently and gently. Thoughts of condemnation and shame are the weeds of the enemy that seek to choke out our healing, growth, and spiritual maturity. The gentle light of Jesus is that light that brings warmth and safety. The conviction he brings is the light that helps us to identify that which needs to be weeded and pruned so that our soil becomes richer and our growth can continue unimpeded. In time and with disciplined attention, daily coming to our places of quiet with the Lord, spending time in his word, we will be forgiven, healed, and freed from that which seeks to stunt our growth and we will continue to mature and begin to bear good fruit, the gifts and charisms that the Holy Spirit has sown within our good soil.

Whatever the state of the soil of our soul that we bring to this reading whether it be a hardened and worn path, rocky ground, weeds and thorns, know that there is some soil to work with. Like any garden that is to grow, mature plants that bear good fruit will take time, energy, and work. The most difficult state and the one Jesus addressed in today’s Gospel is the heart of indifference that is closed, the seed falling on the well-trod path, that is hard and packed so nothing gets through. For these people, “they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand” (Mt 13:13). Yet, even this soil can be turned and tilled. Even the hardest heart can be softened if one is willing to turn to Jesus.

Jesus, in his explanation of why he spoke in parables, returned to the inaugural message of his ministry: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Repent and believe in the Gospel” (Mk 1:15). Before we may be willing to repent, we may need to first acknowledge the places in our hearts and minds that are closed, those areas that are hardened from real or perceived past pain or trauma, those situations in which we chose to shut down and separate ourselves from God and others.

When we allow Jesus in, we can experience his healing touch. When we take the risk to accept his help, we will receive his forgiveness and healing. When we trust in Jesus, are willing to take his hand, follow his lead, and learn from our mistakes, turn away from our sins, and return to him for healing and confession, our hearts will soften and our minds will open.

Jesus wants to help us to turn over the rocks we have been hiding our pain under so that we can experience those deeper wounds that we have kept buried. This will only happen when we trust Jesus and feel safe. Spending quiet time each day, surrendering and being docile to the Holy Spirit, helps us to do just that. In time, we will feel safer and more confident to turn over those stones, pull up the weeds, and begin to till the fertile soil underneath. Through experiencing our pain, our emotions, and facing our fears, we help to prepare the fertile soil, in which the seed of God can thrive and in which we will mature to bear good fruit the will last.

Photo: Enjoying the fruit of this tree in bloom on my walk after morning prayer at University of St. Mary of the Lake.

Link for the Mass readings for Thursday, July 23, 2025

Envy and greed are deadly, thankfulness and generosity give life.

A foundational quality of a good leader, whether he or she be a political or religious leader, would be that they are seeking the best interest of those they serve. They also seek to be good stewards. Unfortunately, self-interest is a tremendous temptation. For how long are they willing to approach the position as one who is willing to serve instead of being served? Another important attribute in a leader is their openness to critique and guidance when they are in need to hear it.

Jesus in today’s parable presents a landowner who turns his vineyard over to tenant farmers. They are to oversee the crops to bring about a productive yield of grapes come harvest time. A mutually decided upon part of the harvest would then be offered to the landowner. Unfortunately: “When vintage time drew near, he [the owner] sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned” (Mt 21:34-35). Eventually, the owner sends his own son, and the tenants kill him.

Jesus offered this parable as a mirror to the “tenants” of his time, the chief priests and Pharisees. The vineyard is an image used to represent Israel. Clearly, the owner is God, and the tenant farmers are those in leadership positions overseeing the care of Israel. We do not know which leaders hearing this parable took it to heart and changed their minds and repented from their self-centered focus. We do know that there were those who carried out exactly what Jesus laid out in the parable. They persecuted, beat, and killed the prophets, and would do the same to Jesus.

Jesus offered this parable hoping to soften the hearts of the leaders who were seeking to arrest him. He was hoping that they would repent, like Isaiah and the prophets had sought to influence the generations before him. The leaders that Jesus shared this parable with unfortunately did not receive Jesus’ message, as was highlighted vividly when Jesus asked what the owner ought to do to with the wicked tenants. The chief priests and the elders did not show any mercy at all but instead, called for the death of the unfaithful tenant farmers. In refusing to repent and condemn those in the parable, they heaped punishment upon themselves.

Jesus said, “the kingdom of God will be taken from you and be given to a people that will produce its fruit.” The parable was not just for the chief priests and the elders, nor just for his disciples then, but also is for us today. All of us are stewards awaiting the return of the Son of the Land Owner. May we have eyes to see and ears to hear so that we may resist the temptation of the unfaithful tenant farmers. Let us not grasp at but instead receive and be grateful for what God has given us, resist the deadly sins of envy and greed, and be good stewards, as generous as God is with us.

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Photo: 6th century, Eastern Orthodox icon of Jesus. Grateful for his life, teachings, love, and guidance.

Link for the Mass readings for Friday, March 21, 2025

A little awareness and an act of kindness can make a huge difference.

In today’s Gospel from Luke, Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed and yeast. Each of these elements is not only small but they are tiny. Though with the proper environment, resources of sustenance, water, and sunlight, this seed will germinate, sprout, and grow into a large bush. Yeast, a single-celled organism, is the catalyst for assisting dough to rise, strengthen, and ferment, thus providing a more appealing and tasty bread.

Jesus offered these simple examples from everyday agrarian life that his listeners understood from experience. If we have planted seeds or made our own homemade bread, we too are in a better position to relate to these two small parables as well.

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus lives out the parables by engaging person to person. Jesus’ interactions happened concretely, through walking along the road and breaking of bread together, sharing stories, teaching, healing, and exorcising demons with his touch, and he still does so today. The smallest, genuine act of kindness or love can seem insignificant and may even go unnoticed by many, but it is significant to the individual who is on the receiving end and can reveal dramatic results over time.

There is a story that expresses this point called, “A Simple Gesture” from the story collection, Chicken Soup for the Soul. The short tale describes how one day a boy named Mark was walking home from school and came upon another boy who had tripped and dropped all of his books and many other items. Mark offered to help carry some of the load of the other boy, who, as they walked home, found out was named Bill. They talked about common interests and when they approached Bill’s home, Bill invited Mark in for a Coke and to watch some T.V. They spent the afternoon together, then interacted on occasion for the rest of their time in middle school and into their high school years.

Three weeks before their graduation, Bill asked Mark if they could talk. Bill shared that the reason that he had been carrying all of that stuff home on the day they had first met was because he didn’t want to leave a mess for anyone else to clean up. Bill had planned to commit suicide that evening. Bill continued to share that, after their original encounter and afternoon together, he realized that if he had killed himself that day he would have missed more opportunities to talk and laugh. Bill finished the conversation by saying, “So you see, Mark, when you picked up my books that day, you did a lot more. You saved my life” (Canfield and Hansen, 35-36).

Personal encounters were how Jesus helped others to realize that the Kingdom of God was at hand. Just as in the example of how Mark, in making the simple effort to help Bill pick up his personal items, helped to shift the momentum away from a potential suicide attempt. This action shows how Jesus can continue to work through us today.

Like a modern-day Good Samaritan parable, “A Simple Gesture”, helps us to see that when we are aware of and engage in opportunities to help and act with genuine care, no matter how small, we can have a dramatic effect on another’s life. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true.

Many people have a lot on their plate, we may not be aware of even half of what they are going through. That is why we need to be attentive and open to the move of the Holy Spirit in our lives. He will lead us out beyond ourselves so that we notice others. In doing so, we can become like the mustard seed, or the yeast, in another’s life. Through a smile, a hello, a bent ear to listen, we can make a connection and then offer a simple act of kindness. What may appear to be minuscule or mundane at the moment, may, in fact, be life-changing and transforming for a lifetime.

Photo: My seminarian brothers helped me to get my nose out of the books to enjoy a Marlins game back in April of ’23.

Canfield, Jack, and Mark Victor Hansen. Chicken Soup for the Soul: 101 Stories to Open the Heart and Rekindle the Spirit. Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications, 1993.

Link for the Mass readings for Tuesday, October 29, 2024