Today's Gospel

A New Perspective on Family

What jumps out at you today? You know, the people-- Jesus is trying to explain the kingdom of God to people, and they're trying to grasp it, and He's given them these parables. And, you know, I'm sure they wanted much more, sort of, specific, literal answers.

But He kept giving them these parables because they're so rich. They engage the whole person, not just the mind, the whole person. And He's-- He's given them these two images today. It's like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the year made nests in its branches. The image that struck me when I first read that today was of a family.

You know, a family where people are open to life, and they have children, and then the children have children, and the children's children have children. And there's this tree of life, right? And the children and the grandchildren and the great - grandchildren, they're the birds that are sitting and playing in this tree of life. That's the image that struck me for some reason when-- when I first read this just now.

And-- and it's a-- it's a beautiful image. It's great to be around families. Yes, we've all got dysfunction in our families. But there is something really beautiful about family. There is something beautiful about seeing multiple generations of a family and realizing the sacrifices and the openness to God and the openness to life that was present throughout the generations.

What jumped out at you today? Sow it in your heart, carry it with you throughout the day, and have an amazing day. And remember, don't just be yourself. Be the very best version of yourself, all that God created you to be.