June 13 - 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Ez 17:22 -24; 2 Cor 5:6–10; Mk 4:26–34)

In the first reading, Ezekiel talks about a transplant, a “tender shoot,” which becomes a mighty tree which is lifted high. Jesus also uses this theme as he talks about the tiny mustard seed which grows to become the mightiest of plants. Jesus starts out by reminding us that we may plant the seed, but we do not control all the elements which cause it to grow and flourish. As any gardener knows, you may prepare the soil and plant the seed, but God supplies the sun and the rain -and “of its own accord, the land yields fruit.” Sometimes our plantings fail for reasons we cannot understand. Sometimes they flourish. And sometimes, after you have given up on a planting…well, when I started planting native flowers, they didn’t seem to grow. It was only after I talked to an experienced gardener that I learned the saying, “first year they sleep; second year they creep; third year, they leap!” God brings our plantings to fruition in His own time and in His own way if they are meant to be. As St. Paul says, we must walk by faith, and not by sight, and plant our acts of faith and love. We rely on God to do the rest.

• Our human instinct is to go for strength and size. In order to do a good job, we think we must reach a lot of people, or be perfect in what we do. But God asks that we do our part, small as it may be, and then rely on Him. Have you ever done a small thing, and been surprised by its impact?
• The logic of the Gospel, with its emphasis on relying on God, contradicts our American ideal of self-sufficiency. How can our striving for self-sufficiency keep us from true communion with God and with others?
• In the first reading, Ezekiel talks of a majestic tree (cedar), representing the church. Jesus, however, uses the example of a mustard plant, which is really a bush – lowlier, but quick to spread and tenacious. Which of these images of the church appeals to you more?