Here I am, Lord

The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed

Have you ever seen a mustard seed?  It’s a tiny sphere, slightly larger than the head of a pin.   Yet it grows into a bush that can reach twenty feet high and thirty feet wide.   Jesus uses this tiny seed to illustrate a vital spiritual principle:  God can do great things with small beginnings.

St. Ignatius of Loyola dreamed of accomplishing great things—not for God, but for himself.   His military exploits cut short by a cannonball that shattered his leg, Ignatius lay on his back longing for fame and fortune.   But he noticed something different.   Whenever he thought about worldly success, he would feel the same excitement he had always known, but it was short-lived.   Then, when he pondered the lives of Jesus and the saints, he felt a deeper, longer-lasting joy.   “What if I did what Francis or Dominic did?” he wondered.

These small movements within his heart were the beginnings of Ignatius’ conversion: tiny mustard seeds that grew into a life of service to Christ and his Church.   Over time, his religious order, the Jesuits, grew into an enormous bush that has borne fruit on every continent.

You are no less of a mustard seed

Do you ever think, “I’m not very useful to God”?   It’s not true!   You are no less of a “mustard seed” than Ignatius was.   The same Holy Spirit dwells in you, so you have as much capacity to change the world as the saints.   Every saint probably felt like they never did enough, but look at all they have accomplished!   Even if all you do is pray for people who are suffering, you can make a huge impact.

Like the tiny mustard seed, your daily choices to pray, to help a family member, or to forgive someone can grow.   Jesus did not overlook the mustard seed because it was small—and he will not pass over your faith or service either.   He sees your generosity and delights in it.   He sees its potential and helps it bear abundant fruit.

From Mary to Ignatius to Mother Teresa, God has been taking small seeds and turning them into magnificent displays of his grace.   It’s not just the saints either.   Your parish priest, an inner-city teacher, even the person sitting in front of you at Mass—each is a precious “mustard seed” whom God is cultivating.

And so are you.

word among us