The mustard seed and the leaven

Fr Paul reads today’s Gospel from Luke (13:18-21) in which Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed and the role of yeast in bread making.

Before Jesus leaves Galilee and heads up to Jerusalem, the writer of Luke gives us these two parables about growth.

Jesus might have been encouraging the disciples, who were thinking they were such a small and insignificant group.  Jesus is simply saying to his community ‘Give it time’ and he uses the example of a man planting a seed and a woman mixing in yeast so the dough can rise.  Jesus is talking about growth and he is talking about patience.

For our reflection today, Fr Paul says we might ask ourselves, ‘How patient am I? Do I allow enough time for things like God’s Word and God’s Love to grow in my heart?