Saint Cyril of Jerusalem Catholic Church

The parable of the seeds among the wheat teaches us that in the world and in the church there will always be a mix of good and evil people.  Since the sorting out will not take place until the final judgement, we are implicitly cautioned to refrain in the meantime from condemning anyone.  We must continue proclaiming the good news and offer mercy, hoping that before the end every heart will be drawn to God.

The mustard seed and the yeast describe the inexplicable expansion of the kingdom from unremarkable  beginnings to a vast,  all encompassing community of believers. Such mysterious growth can be explained only by the action of the Holy Spirit.

The church’s  mission began in a simple way with the twelve apostles.  But because of God’s power it has undergone tremendous development over the centuries.  If we nurture the seed of faith with the bread of the Eucharist and enrich our lives with the yeast of the Scripture, we cannot help but grow and expand and produce something marvelous for the Lord.

It does not matter how limited our talents are.  With God’s grace, we can use those talents to do tremendous things in the world.  With God behind us, we can accomplish mighty work for Him.

We need never get discouraged by how small the seed of our own resources seems to be. Under God’s care our tiny effort can grow and multiply to produce great things in His Kingdom.

God Bless,

Msgr. Powell

 

In todays Gospel, we read one of the most beautiful and most important sayings of Jesus.  “Come to me, all you who are  weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you…”

Experiencing weariness and finding life burdensome is part of the human condition.  There is ordinary fatigue from hard work.  There is weariness that comes from boredom.  An extreme kind of weariness borders on severe depression and  suicide.

Just as there are different degrees of weariness, so too there are different types of burdens.  There is the ordinary burden of responsibility that comes from being a leader, parent or teacher.  There is also the burden of being sick, handicapped, out of work, widowed or divorced.  In some circumstances we feel the heavy weight of being restricted– physically, financially or emotionally.

There are also the burdens we sometimes carry in looking after others—perhaps taking care of a disabled child, a crippled spouse, or a senile parent.   No matter what type of weariness or what burdens we may be carrying, Jesus says: “Come to me and I will give you rest.”  Not only does he promise rest but also strength and peace because he will give us grace, he will give us life.

If only we believe that, we would fulfill our responsibilities with joy, fight to overcome difficulties with determination, and take on challenges with courage.  We will discover that “his yoke is easy and His burden light.”

God Bless

Msgr. Powell