Posted by The WORD in other words (2006) by Fr Alex Vitualla SVD – Occidental Mindoro
Monday 17th Week in Ordinary Time
What do Helen Keller, Beethoven, Alexander the Great, St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Arnold Janssen, St. Ignatius of Loyola, and Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta have in common? They were ordinary people. Yet they became extraordinary figures in history, inspiring confidence and hope.
This is the parable of the mustard seed (Matthew 13:31–32): something small and ordinary grows into something great, offering shelter and life. God delights in transforming ordinary individuals into great personalities. Greatness follows when one obeys the will of God.
In contrast, those who reject God are warned in the first reading: “This wicked people who refuse to obey My words, who walk in the stubbornness of their hearts, and follow strange gods to serve and adore them, shall be like this loincloth which is good for nothing” (Jeremiah 13:10).
The choice is clear: to live fruitfully in God’s Kingdom or to waste life in stubbornness and idolatry.
In life, we must choose the best. Why settle for less? Jesus reminds us: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides” (Matthew 6:33).
Let us entrust our worries, concerns, and dreams to God. Let us seek to understand the meaning of this parable, for it is our parable—the story of how God calls us to live in His Kingdom.
The mustard seed reminds us that greatness begins in small acts of faith, nurtured by obedience and trust. Our calling is to live as citizens of God’s Kingdom, allowing His grace to transform our ordinary lives into extraordinary witnesses of hope.
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