Today's Gospel

January 31, 2025


Your Mustard Seed Story

3 min

Image of The Three Ordinary Voices of God.

God hasn’t stopped speaking. We’ve Stopped Listening.

Bring The Three Ordinary Voices of God to your parish this Easter for as low as $2 a copy (plus FREE shipping!). Are you ready to hear God speak like never before?

Image of The Three Ordinary Voices of God.

Gospel

Mk 4:26-34


And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed upon the ground, and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he knows not how. The earth produces of itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.

Readings are from Dynamic Catholic’s New Testament Bible: RSV Catholic Edition


Image of The Three Ordinary Voices of God Book.
Image of The Three Ordinary Voices of God Book.

It’s time to take back your life.

It’s time to slow down to the speed of joy.

All revolutions have a moment when they begin. This is your moment.


Transcript


Your Mustard Seed Story

Welcome back to Radical & Relevant, where each day we come to the gospel of the day looking for guidance, looking for direction, looking to be challenged, looking to be encouraged, to listen to the Word of God. Today's reading is from the gospel of Mark 4:26-34. "And Jesus said, 'The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed upon the ground and goes to sleep and rises night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow, but he knows not how. The earth produces of itself. First the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once, he puts in the sickle because the harvest has come.' And Jesus said, 'With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown upon the earth, is the smallest of all the seeds. Yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes the greatest of all trees and puts forth large branches so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.' With many such parables, Jesus spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it. He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately, to his own disciples, he explained everything."

What is it that jumps out at you? And we've got the mustard seed. I love a good underdog story. I love a good underdog movie where you've got this mustard seed of a person who just rises up and God just uses them, gives them incredible talent, just helps them rise up. We love stories like that. And sometimes we feel small, we feel overwhelmed, we feel like the underdog. And we have to draw strength from the mustard seed in those moments, the realization that God can do great things with little things. God can do great things with little things. Question is, what is God hoping to do with you in this season of your life? What is God hoping to do with you in this season of your life? Let's take that question into our day for reflection. Let's take that question in our day for meditation. What is God hoping to do with you in this season of your life? And will you cooperate? Will you collaborate with God? Have a great day. And remember, Be Bold, Be Catholic.

January 31, 2025