How does the parable of the #mustardseed, which Kim and I chose for our wedding Mass, continue to speak to me today as we share in the sufferings of our son Daniel and his family, trusting that the Kingdom of God remains “the only house big enough for all the pain,” just as Jesus taught when he said, “It is like a mustard seed that…“❓
Gospel
Jesus said to the crowds:
“This is how it is with the Kingdom of God;
it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land
and would sleep and rise night and day
and the seed would sprout and grow,
he knows not how.
Of its own accord the land yields fruit,
first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once,
for the harvest has come.”
He said,
“To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God,
or what parable can we use for it?
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”
With many such parables
he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.
Without parables he did not speak to them,
but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.
Lectio Divina Reflection on “mustard seed“
The mustard seed has always held special meaning for me, not just as a parable but as a lived reality. At our wedding Mass, Kim and I chose the Gospel passage about the mustard seed, believing in the promise that even the smallest beginnings could grow into something great.
Monsignor Smyer had never preached on it at a wedding before, but he reminded us that our love alone wouldn’t be enough to “cut the mustard” in our vocation. Today, I see how true his words were as Kim and I navigate the joys and trials of our marriage, clinging to faith when our own strength isn’t enough.
The mustard seed reminds me of how Jesus saw beauty and divine purpose in the smallest of things. He was always in touch with nature, finding meaning in the simple and overlooked. His parable teaches that what starts small can flourish beyond expectation. I wonder how many times I’ve overlooked the mustard seeds in my own life, those moments of grace and hope hidden in difficulty. The suffering of my son Daniel and his family feels overwhelming, yet I trust that even in this sorrow, a mustard seed of God’s kingdom is present, taking root in ways I cannot yet see.
The mustard seed also reflects how God calls us to endurance. Daniel’s suffering with stage 4 pancreatic cancer is a heavy cross, one that his wife Kristen and their children Heidi, Stella, and Dawson bear with unimaginable courage.
In their suffering, I see the tiny mustard seed of faith clinging to life, refusing to be uprooted. The Kingdom of God isn’t just a place of joy—it is the only house big enough to hold all this pain, the only refuge where suffering and hope can exist together.
So I ask myself, how do I continue to trust in the mustard seed of God’s promise, even when I cannot yet see its branches❓ How do I hold onto the belief that, even in sorrow, something good is growing❓ How can I be faithful to Jesus’ teaching when the weight of suffering feels too great❓ I hold onto his words, his vision, his hope—because I know that in the end, all things will be made new. But in this moment, I can only wonder: how do I live out that trust when all I see before me is a tiny beginning, …
The Lord was able to invite others to be attentive to the beauty that there is in the world because he himself was in constant touch with nature, lending it an attention full of fondness and wonder. As he made his way throughout the land, he often stopped to contemplate the beauty sown by his Father, and invited his disciples to perceive a divine message in things:…“The kingdom of God is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all seeds, but once it has grown, it is the greatest of plants”(Mt 13:31-32).
FROM PARAGRAPH 97 of ENCYCLICAL LETTER LAUDATO SI’ OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS ON CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME
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