Parables On How The Kingdom of God Grows

Today’s Gospel describes how the Kingdom of God spreads – i.e. through you and me. It compliments what we say in the Our Father – Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done. The bottom line is that there is no other way that the Kingdom will advance. It will only advance even as humanity chooses to get into a relationship with God. There is no backup programme etc. But the Kingdom is like when you discover the Secret of Forever Living (Yesterday’s Reading), and then it takes root in you and grows, and even as it grows in you, it grows around you, blessing, changing and transforming. God being who He Is, does not push down His preference/choice on us. He gives us the option to choose.

Choose we must, but we need to make an informed decision and choose wisely. Because many a times we choose based on what people around us say and teach us, but most of these only are talking about the final experience, or manipulating you by selling you ideas that would benefit them in money or make them feel good about their guilt. Yes choosing God is the right thing, but know suffering is part of the package. But suffering is not bad or evil, but the grace that transforms us into who we should be – Individuals made in God’s Image. Know that you will need to surrender and drain out all of yourself, but also know that this means the space you make is filled with God.

But once the choice is made, and you hang on to it, what is happening to you is also happening around you… just like the mustard spreading over country side and the yeast effecting the dough. St. Ignatius of Loyola is an apt example of this.