Dear Parishioner,

     In the Gospel today we have a collection of parables which deal with the growth of seeds. These parables were used to encourage the disciples to have faith and alleviate their anxiety. Jesus is telling them the growth of God’s kingdom is like the mustard seed, its starts off small and ends up being the largest of plants. Jesus’ intention was to tell the disciples to be patient, to trust in God as he knew that their spiritual life would start off small and grow over time.

We too can learn from this. We live in an age where things are now expected to be received almost instantaneously.  Whether it’s food from Just Eat (other services are available) arriving on demand or online shopping delivered through a simple click of the button.  In our current age waiting feels unusual.  So, when we are asked to be patient, to wait for a prolonged period of time, when we have to nurture something, it can feel very uncomfortable.  To develop our spiritual life we will need to give ourselves time. 

We know intuitively that some things just can’t be rushed. The farmer in today’s Gospel did his part, he scattered the seeds, he was patient and waited. Patience is a great virtue which can be hard to develop especially when we are too concerned with immediate results. So, when it comes to our own spiritual life, we need to listen to the Gospel, be patient, trust in God. Our spiritual growth will take time to develop and mature, the key is to spend time in prayer and listening to God.

Take care of yourselves in the week ahead.

Yours in Christ,

Deacon Ian