11th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B - 17/6/2018 - Gospel: Mk 4:26-34
Natural process
Plants grow and develop and pass on all necessary quality of life to a next generation. By nature a tiny cell of life has already implanted within a seed and with the right conditions the cell will activate itself to shoot and that is the beginning of life. All plants begin with a tiny cell and start to grow taller and bigger.
Human beings are unable to provide life but can protect it, providing best conditions for plants grow well and healthy and free from bugs or diseases. Nature provides life and we nurture and protect life. We can help plants to grow faster, healthier and with greater harvest. We humans have nothing to do with the tiny cell of life. It all depends on nature. It is the same for faith in Jesus. It all begins with God. When God creates us God has already implanted in each one of us the seed of faith. Our role is to recognize the faith that is given to us and make it grow. The lucky ones recognize the faith straightaway and very early in life; others only through life experiences recognize faith in Jesus and then there are others who continue to search for faith or even suppress the growth of faith by denying its existence. The process of searching for the spiritual world leads to have faith in Jesus is a challenging one. It is a real challenge for those who believe and for those who disbelieve. For believers faith in Jesus is a free gift God gives to us and we are challenge to make that faith real in life. For non believers faith is the product of human mind and it bothers them for the entire life on earth. The question one needs to ask is that can a human mind be capable of proving or disproving the existence of faith? Second what the mind can't find it doesn't mean that it does not exist. A humble mind would accept that there are things which is beyond the power of our mind to hold, especially when it relates to the question of faith in Jesus. Third, those who believe faith is the product of human mind; their spiritual life is shallow.
Fourth, the denial of faith in Jesus means denying the origin of life. Christians believe that all life came from God who is the giver of life. We believe that faith in Jesus is much bigger and far more deeper than what human mind can envisage and that it's richness and the mystery of faith. A human mind can make some sense of it and would never fully understand it. Jesus used the image of a growing plant to talk about the growing of faith in him. Prophet Ezekiel used images of birds that make nests and eat fruits of a tree but would never understand it. We believe God who provides our needs and salvation, out of his love, and would never fully understand of God's love. St Paul is saying to us we live 'by faith and not by sight' 1Cor 6,7
Faith in us is like a growing plant. It is tiny and has life hidden in it and with right conditions it will grow to be big like a cedar tree. Our faith in Jesus is small and weak and when we nurture it with God's love we can achieve amazing things in life. It is much bigger than we can imagine. It is the power of faith when it is deep rooted in God. Jesus tells us that our faith should be useful like the cedar and a mustard seed.
Human beings are unable to provide life but can protect it, providing best conditions for plants grow well and healthy and free from bugs or diseases. Nature provides life and we nurture and protect life. We can help plants to grow faster, healthier and with greater harvest. We humans have nothing to do with the tiny cell of life. It all depends on nature. It is the same for faith in Jesus. It all begins with God. When God creates us God has already implanted in each one of us the seed of faith. Our role is to recognize the faith that is given to us and make it grow. The lucky ones recognize the faith straightaway and very early in life; others only through life experiences recognize faith in Jesus and then there are others who continue to search for faith or even suppress the growth of faith by denying its existence. The process of searching for the spiritual world leads to have faith in Jesus is a challenging one. It is a real challenge for those who believe and for those who disbelieve. For believers faith in Jesus is a free gift God gives to us and we are challenge to make that faith real in life. For non believers faith is the product of human mind and it bothers them for the entire life on earth. The question one needs to ask is that can a human mind be capable of proving or disproving the existence of faith? Second what the mind can't find it doesn't mean that it does not exist. A humble mind would accept that there are things which is beyond the power of our mind to hold, especially when it relates to the question of faith in Jesus. Third, those who believe faith is the product of human mind; their spiritual life is shallow.
Fourth, the denial of faith in Jesus means denying the origin of life. Christians believe that all life came from God who is the giver of life. We believe that faith in Jesus is much bigger and far more deeper than what human mind can envisage and that it's richness and the mystery of faith. A human mind can make some sense of it and would never fully understand it. Jesus used the image of a growing plant to talk about the growing of faith in him. Prophet Ezekiel used images of birds that make nests and eat fruits of a tree but would never understand it. We believe God who provides our needs and salvation, out of his love, and would never fully understand of God's love. St Paul is saying to us we live 'by faith and not by sight' 1Cor 6,7
Faith in us is like a growing plant. It is tiny and has life hidden in it and with right conditions it will grow to be big like a cedar tree. Our faith in Jesus is small and weak and when we nurture it with God's love we can achieve amazing things in life. It is much bigger than we can imagine. It is the power of faith when it is deep rooted in God. Jesus tells us that our faith should be useful like the cedar and a mustard seed.
Written by Fr Vũđình Tường
St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane Australia
St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane Australia
