‘This is what the Kingdom of God is like …’
Our readings this week are full of hope and confidence. May we grow in joyful hope as we pray and ponder them. The theme of growth, seeds, and trees winds in and out of these readings. So does the notion of universality: God’s kingdom is for the whole of humanity.
In the First Reading, God, through the prophet Ezekiel, promises the tiny remnant of Israel that they will grow into a new people, just as the cedar grows from a small shoot.
The Psalm is a song of thanksgiving to the Lord who enables the just to grow and flourish like a cedar.
St Paul, in the Second Reading, reminds the Corinthians of the confidence they have, despite the tensions of living while waiting for the Lord. This fills them with the expectation of being with him one day.
The Gospel contains two parables of the Kingdom: that of the seed, growing secretly; and the parable of the mustard seed. Both parables reveal God working continuously for the growth of his kingdom.
As we go about our lives this week, we may find other metaphors for the God who works secretly for his kingdom in all those around us, in our surroundings and in all events.
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