By Rev. Fr. Daniel Tetteh Tackie
On this eleventh Sunday of ordinary time, we are reminded of the kingdom of God. Also, we are reminded that the Church of Christ is like a tree planted in the world. From the smallest of seed it becomes the noblest of trees and a physical evidence of God’s kingdom which fills the earth. We are therefore encouraged to seek this kingdom with Faith.
Today too, the world over, we commemorate the toils our fathers have experienced for us. May I take this opportunity to wish all Fathers Happy Fathers Day. May I humbly ask all fathers to reflect on the word FATHER as written below:
F= Forever with his family
A= Always there for them no matter what
T= The only one who is there
H= He is our hero till the end
E= Encouraging in everything we do
R= Really the only one…no one can beat him, he is the best!
The question is Can the above be said about you by your children? If YES, then blessed are you and HAPPY FATHERS DAY. If NO, then I invite you to examine your understanding of the word FATHER so you could also be celebrated by your children.
The gospel text of today begins with these words, “Jesus said, ‘This is what the kingdom of God is like’” (Mk 4:26) Like! And the gospel text concludes with these words, “Using many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, so far as they were capable of understanding it. He would not speak to them except in parables…” (Mk 4:34). Parables!
These parables help us discern something about the kingdom of God and our own faith. In God, we live and move and have our being, but God is a mystery and his kingdom, though present, has not yet come into its fullness. All of us can understand that a small seed might produce an enormous plant. That is the image of the kingdom of God that we find in the Gospel today. What are we supposed to make of it? Perhaps we can think that if we nurture the faith within us, it might grow. If we do not nurture faith, generally it does not grow. If we nurture faith a lot, it can grow into a mighty plant within us.
Compare this image with that of the first reading, from the Prophet Ezekiel. Ezekiel tells us that God can take life from anywhere and transplant it and it can grow into something mighty. The image that Ezekiel uses is taking the top of a cedar tree and transplanting it and watching that top grow into a complete tree, even a mighty and enormous tree.
St. Paul in the second reading today, from the Second Letter to the Corinthians, reminds us that our hope is really in the life to come and not in this life. All of us love this life. That is normal. Nevertheless, we must learn to walk by faith rather than by the attractions of this world, the sight of this world. We must begin to think in a new way and live in a new way because the Kingdom is here in our midst now.
All the readings of today speak about this capacity of God to make something out of nothing. They also speak of our response to God’s work in our lives. We can choose to walk by faith or we can choose to live just in this world. If we walk by faith, then God can do mighty things in us. Not becoming wealthy or powerful or even having lots of things. Rather, God can let the Spirit change us from within so that our life of faith become the centre of our life and we begin to walk only in the way of the Lord.
The first reading is a message of hope, liberation and restoration. Through the Prophet Ezekiel God promised to restore, elevate and establish his people who were in exile in Babylon. This means that God wishes to transform and transfer his people from a kingdom of oppression, poverty and austerity to a kingdom of peace, justice, and prosperity. This is obviously the kingdom where Christ reigns as king over his people and where he is the fountain that supports their life. This is the kingdom where God wishes us to be. The visible sign of this kingdom is the Church to which all people come to seek refuge.
What can we do this week to plant a seed and to join in that process of making the kingdom of heaven a reality more and more. What in our lives has to change to make that happen?
Can we find the strength to be verbal about our faith and not fear to express our faith in both word and action – to love God and our neighbour visibly, every day, and so plant that seed which will eventually create the harvest of God’s kingdom. That is the Good News that we need to preach and act out in our own lives each day, and it is very Good News for the future of our world if we heed it. Amen.
