The Silent Power of the Kingdom

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Il-Ħdax-il Ħadd matul is-Sena (B)

Messalin 'B' pp393

Reading 1                 Eziekiel 17:22-24

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; 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. 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. This is the Word of the Lord.

L-Ewwel Lezzjoni   =   mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Eżekjel  17, 22-24

Dan jgħid Sidi l-Mulej: "Jien naqta' mill-quċċata taċ-ċedru l-għoli, minn tarf il-friegħi l-għolja, rimja żgħira, u nxettilha fuq il-muntanja għolja u kbira; fuq il-muntanja għolja ta' Iżrael inxettilha. U hi toħroġ il-friegħi, u tagħmel il-frott, u ssir siġra sabiħa taċ-ċedru.  U taħtha hstkenn kull tajr tal-ġwienaħ, jistekknu għad-dell tal-friegħi tagħha.  U jagħrfu s-siġar kollha tar-raba' li jien il-Mulej, li siġra għolja nċekkinha, u siġra żgħira nkabbarha; innixxef is-siġar l-ħadra, u n-niexfa bil-weraq  nkabbarha. Jien, il-Mulej, tkellimt, u li għedt nagħmlu." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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

R. (cf. 2a)  Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.

It is good to give thanks to the LORD,

to sing praise to your name, Most High,

To proclaim your kindness at dawn

and your faithfulness throughout the night.                 R.

The just one shall flourish like the palm tree,

like a cedar of Lebanon shall he grow.

They that are planted in the house of the LORD

shall flourish in the courts of our God.                        R.

They shall bear fruit even in old age;

vigorous and sturdy shall they be,

Declaring how just is the LORD,

my rock, in whom there is no wrong.                         R.

Salm Responsorjali                       Salm 91(92)

R/     Tajjeb li nfaħhru l-Mulej.

Tajjeb li nfaħħru l-Mulej,

li ngħannu lil ismek, into l-Għoli,

inxandru filgħodu t-tjieba tiegħek,

u billejl il-fedela' tiegħek.                                  R/

Il-bniedem ġust bħall-palma jħaddar,

bħal ċedru tal-Libanu jikber.

Imħawlin f'dar il-Mulej,

Iħaddru fil-btiħi tat-tempju ta' Alla tagħna.       R/

Sa fu xjuħithom il-frott jagħmlu,

kollhom ħajja u ħdura,

bieix ixandru li ġust hu l-Mulej, blata tiegħi,

u ebda qerq ma jinsab fih.                              R/

Reading 2                 2Corinthians 5:6-10

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, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yet we are courageous, and we would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord. Therefore, we aspire to please him, whether we are at home or away. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil. This is the Word of the Lord.

It-Tieni Lezzjoni        Qari mit-Tieni Ittra lill-Korintin 5, 6-10

Ħuti, aħna dejjem qalbna qawwija u nafu li sakemm  indumu mlibbsa b'dan il-ġisem, nibqgħu 'l bogħod mill-Mulej – għahx aħna ngħixu bil-fidi u mhux  bil-viżjoni.   Aħna qalbna qawwija u persważi li aħjar noħorġu minn dan il-ġisem u mmorru noqogħdu għand il-Mulej. Għalhekk fuq kollox aħna nfittxu li nogħġbu lilu, sew jekk nibqgħu hawn, sew jekk noħorġu minn dan il-ġisem. Jeħtieġ li lkoll  kemm aħna nidhru quddiem it-tribunal ta' Kristu, ħalli kulħad jieħu skont it-tajjeb jew il-ħażn li jkun għamel meta kien għadu ħaj fil-ġisem. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel                       Mark 4:26-34

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 and would sleep and rise night and day and through it all the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come." He said, "To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. 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." With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private. This is the Word of the Lord.

L-Evanġelju     Qari skont San Mark 4, 26-34

F'dak iż-żmien, Ġesu' qal lill-kotrao tan-nies:  "Is-Saltna ta' Alla hi bħal meta raġel ikun xeħet iż-żerriegħa fl-art. Rieqed jew imqajjem, billejl jew binhar, iż-żerriegħa tinbet u tikber, bla ma jaf kif.  L-art trodd minnha nfisha  l-ewwel il-barma, imbagħad is-sbula, imbagħad il-qamħ  mimli fis-sbula.   U meta l-frott isir, malajr il-bidwi  jmidd idu għall-minġel, għax ikun wasal żmien il-ħsad. U qal:  "Ma xiex sejrin inqabbluha s-Saltna ta' Alla, jew b'liema parabbola nifssurha?   Qisha żerriegħa tal-ressquhom  lejk mill-gdid. mustarda;  din meta tinżara fil-ħamrija, hi l-iċken fost iż-żrieragħ kollha fuq l-art;  imma wara li tinżara'  tikber u ssir l-akbar waħda fost il-ħxejjex kollha, u toħroġ friegħi wesgħin, hekk li l-għasafar tal-ajru jkunu jistgħu jistkennu għad-dell  tagħha." B'ħafna parabboli bħal dawn kien ixandrilhom il-kelma, kif kienu jistgħu jifhmuha huma, u mingħajr xi parabbola ma kienx ikellimhom;  imma lid-dixxipli tiegħu, meta  kien ikun waħdu magħhom, kien ifissrilhom kollox. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

/////////////////////////////////////////     A reflection by Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB 

The Slow Progress in the Growth of God’s Kingdom

The growth of plants, trees, flowers, and grass takes place very quietly and slowly, without our knowing. This growth permeates three of the four readings for this Sunday (Ezekiel 17:22-24, Psalm 92, Mark 4:26-34). Let us look at each of these three readings, then apply the plant images to the growth of God’s kingdom in our midst.

This Sunday's first reading from Ezekiel (17:22-24) is part of a lengthy allegory that combines fables from nature with concrete historical judgments, thus enabling the prophet to include the promise of future restoration in the historical framework of Judah’s own experience. In the midst of Israel’s great exile, Ezekiel knows that God does the unexpected – bringing low the high tree and making high the low. The great cedar represents the king of Judah, and the other trees are the kings of the surrounding nations. God will plant on Mount Zion in Jerusalem a young, tender sprig from the top of the same cedar. This is referring to the final king or messiah, who will rise up from the house of David. This king will be enthroned in Jerusalem, atop the highest mountain of Israel (2 Samuel 7:13). Many other nations will come and find refuge under this new kingdom.

The God of Israel always does the unexpected – bringing low the high tree and making high the low. God makes desert areas bloom and makes what may be superficially blooming wither (Ezekiel 17:24). God restores broken hearts and decimated hopes. Though the prophet Ezekiel's words referred at first to the hopes of ancient Israel, they still resound in our midst today. Even though the worldly dynasty of David would disappear, David's hopes would be fulfilled in a way far more glorious than he ever imagined!

We believe that the full realization of God’s kingdom is found in Jesus of Nazareth, Son of Abraham and Son of David, who came to establish the kingdom in our midst. God’s kingdom in Jesus grows in a hidden, mysterious way, independently of human efforts. The prophet Ezekiel’s words stir our hearts and minds, and remind us of God’s constant fidelity, especially when growth seems delayed or even impossible: “I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it” (17:24).

Our homeland is the Lord

St. Paul builds on the the theme of Ezekiel's prophecy as he speaks about the mystery of our union with Christ's death and resurrection (2 Cor 5:6-10). Paul faces the fear of his own death and admits his difficulty at wanting to be “at home in the body/away from the Lord” or “away from the body/at home with the Lord.” His confidence flows from his faith. In this life, we are separated from Christ. For this reason Paul would prefer death, “to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” At present we are citizens in exile, far away from our home. The Lord is the distant homeland, believed in but unseen (7). Paul affirms his confidence by contrasting what is of permanent value with what is only passing. Paul drives home the point that the sufferings of the present are not a valid criterion of apostleship because the true home of all believers is elsewhere.

So too with us - God is mysteriously drawing us towards our heavenly homeland. From this earthly home we prepare for our heavenly home; heaven is constantly calling us forward, instilling within us a deep longing to be with the Lord while we are still in the flesh here below. Paul's message speaks to us today: it is only from this earthly home that we will learn and prepare for the heavenly home; the way that we live our lives here and now with the Lord will be a very good indication of how we will spend our eternity with Him.

The assurance of the harvest

In today’s well-known Gospel story of the sower, Jesus announces the fulfillment of Ezekiel's hopes, though with a kingdom even more unexpected than Ezekiel could ever imagine. This new kingdom would not be rooted in a geographical or political reality, but rather in human hearts. In today's parable of the sower, Mark (4:26-34) links two of Jesus' parables, featuring the image of a growing seed to speak of the kingdom of God. In the parable of the seed growing of itself (26-29), Mark contrasts the relative inactivity of the farmer with the assurance of the harvest. The sower need only do only one thing: wait for the crop to mature and then reap the harvest. Only Mark records the parable of the seed's growth (26-29). Sower and harvester are the same. The emphasis is on the power of the seed to grow of itself without human intervention (27). Mysteriously it produces blade and ear and full grain (28). Thus the kingdom of God initiated by Jesus in proclaiming the word develops quietly yet powerfully until it is fully established by him at the final judgment (29).

The mustard seed

The second parable is better known. Jesus uses the mustard seed to show the beginnings of the kingdom, exaggerating both the smallness of the mustard seed and the size of the mustard plant. The mustard seed is really not the smallest seed and the plant is only bush, not a tall tree. Jesus used this image to show that the kingdom will grow and flourish even though its beginnings seem very small and insignificant. The seed in Jesus' hand is tiny, simple, and unimpressive. Yet the Kingdom of God is like that. 

From these small seeds will arise the great success of the Kingdom of God and of God's Word. Since the harvest symbolizes the last judgment, it is likely that the parable also addresses the burning issue of slow progress in the growth of God's kingdom, especially when that growth is hindered by persecution, failure, or sinfulness. Patience is called for in the face of humble beginnings. Jesus reassures the crowd that growth will come; it is only at the harvest that the farmer reappears. The growth of God's kingdom is the result of God's power, not ours. Like the tiny mustard seed, the kingdom of God is something that grows from a tiny beginning.

The Lord uses the vivid image of the mustard seed to speak about our faith. When we have faith, the Lord will accomplish great things in us. Whenever and wherever we take ourselves and our efforts too seriously, seeking by our plans and programs to “bring forth the kingdom of God,” we will go away frustrated and sad. We must never forget that it is the Lord who sows, the Lord who waters, the Lord who reaps the harvest. We are merely servants in the vineyard. Let us beg the Lord to bless the desires he has planted deep in our hearts. As the mustard seed grows into a tree of shelter for birds, may our families and faith communities be signs of the Kingdom: may we ensure that every person in our communities is protected, respected, and loved.

The silent and vigorous growth of the Church

I was very struck by Pope Benedict XVI’s use of the mustard seed imagery in his interview with journalists aboard the Papal flight to Madrid, Spain for the World Youth Day on August 18, 2011. The Holy Father was asked how the fruits of the World Youth Days can be ensured in the future? Do World Youth Days effectively produce fruits that last longer than the momentary bursts of enthusiasm? Pope Benedict responded to the questions with these words:

“God always sows in silence. The results are not immediately apparent in the statistics. And the seed the Lord scatters on the ground with the World Youth Days is like the seed of which he speaks in the Gospel: some seeds fell along the path and were lost; some fell on rocky ground and were lost, some fell upon thorns and were lost; but other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth abundant fruit.

It is exactly like this with the sowing of the WYDs: a great deal is lost — and this is human. To borrow other words from the Lord: the mustard seed was small, but it grew and became a great tree. And with yet other words: of course, a great deal is lost, we cannot say straight away that there will be an immense growth of the Church tomorrow. God does not act in this way. However, the Church grows in silence and vigorously. I know from other World Youth Days that a great many friendships were born, friendships for life; a great many experiences that God exists. And let us place trust in this silent growth, and we may be certain, even if the statistics do not tell us much, that the Lord’s seed really grows and will be for very many people the beginning of a friendship with God and with others, of a universality of thought, of a common responsibility which really shows us that these days do bear fruit.”