November 11, 2013 Monday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time C Wisdom 1:1-7 Luke 17:1-6 Mustard Seeds Mustard seeds enjoyed a special place in the teachings of Jesus. Whenever he wanted to portray true or real faith Jesus used mustard seed as an example. He had his reasons behind this fascination for the mustard seed: Though it is small, it is alive. Yes, mustard seed is alive with possibilities! However, in many cases the faith of the religious people is not like mustard seed, but like rocks – hard, heavy, big, rough, dry, cold and dead. They blindly believe in some doctrines and dogmas. They are eager and ready to sacrifice their lives to enforce them on others and are prepared even to commit murder to defend them. On the other hand mustard seed is just the opposite of rock. It is small, smooth, humid, light and even delicate. However, it is potent – it is full of possibilities, it can grow! It can smile! It can feed! Yes, I mean it! Once it sprouts and grows it can produce hundreds and thousands of flowers and fruits. Additionally, the birds can come and rest and make their nests on its branches. Mustard seed is altruistic. It exists for others! When blooms it feeds bees and butterflies and embellishes the ambiance. It nourishes animals and human beings. We are quite familiar with faiths that cause division, faiths that shed blood. But according to Jesus true faith is living faith. Living faith means a faith that sustains and supports others. When faith is self-serving and self-centered it is sterile or impotent. Jesus continues to explain that living faith is not only a “giving faith” but also a “forgiving faith”. It is ready to forgive the wrongs done not just once or twice; it can continue to forgive seven times a day. A person of living faith knows that if we bind or refuse to forgive our offender we ourselves remain bound. If we release the offender we are liberating ourselves from the bondage. In other words, possessing is the same as being possessed. Our anger and resentment keep us captives. In our lives there may be persons or habits deep-rooted like a mulberry tree. They may seem so well-established that we may never be able to eradicate them. However, if we have a living faith nothing is impossible. There is no individual or addiction that can enslave us perpetually if we have a living faith. It is possible to liberate ourselves from even the most deep-rooted obsessions and clinging individuals if we believe that we can. How? You may ask me. Let me explain, a mulberry tree has grip only when it is planted in the soil. If it is planted in the ocean it has to float or it will submerge and perish. The best way to free ourselves from inordinate habits and improper relationships is to uproot them and plant them in the ocean of God, where they will float and lose their grip on us. As Jesus warns us temptations will be there with us always. But it is up to us to decide whether to yield or not. Even Jesus had his share of temptations, in fact, all the three fundamentals: survival, possession and recognition. He had them all, yet he survived! What a wonderful model we have in Jesus! Be blessed my friend
Posted on: Mon, 11 Nov 2013 10:00:06 +0000
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