"...the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet once it is sown it grows into the biggest shrub of them all..."

Today's Gospel from Mark chapter 4 is all about faith. Jesus taught the crowds only in parables.  Here we meet two parables together in which Jesus uses the image of seeds and sowing, growing, blossoming and harvest.

We know that an increase in faith is a gift we can pray for (for ourselves and others).  We can also work at it ourselves, to be faithful, growing in the virtue and deepening our own faith through our love and service to Our Lord and other people.

As with other virtues, once we start to practice our faith more, it grows!  This is true both in the 'doing'  - of going to Mass and Confession, making time to pray and listen for Our Lord's voice and action in our life, as well as in the  - 'being' - of taking to heart Jesus' words in the Gospels and allowing His Holy Spirit to change us from within, to become available and teachable for whatever He is calling us to be for Him in our lives.

In the parables we can see Jesus simply explaining to the crowds which are the 'successful' seeds that, though tiny and seemingly unpromising, will bear the most fruit.

As we ponder today's Gospel, let's offer our hearts again to Him, asking Jesus to increase our faith and 'help our unbelief' to that we can step out and never look back on our journey.

The first reading for Mass today has the encouraging challenge:

"... we are the sort who keep faithful until our souls are saved."

'Anyone who does the will of God...'

'Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother.’ Mark 31:35

Jesus talks about His Father's will so often in the Gospels. Indeed Jesus focuses on God's will more more than His own as a matter of course.  Though Jesus calls us 'friends', He would call us sister or brother if we would live according to God's will and truly live in His will. 

Of course we know we are heirs to the Kingdom, adopted sons of the Father (if clarification is needed here, I mean sons as in heirs when firstborn sons used to be the inheritors. Now we say sons and daughters. However, this reduces the dignity meant by the word son here, when 'firstborn' is specifically what's intended). This is already a wonderful thought, to be loved like this by our Heavenly Father.

How lovely then to consider that Jesus wants to welcome us as brother or sister once we fully accept and live the will of the Father for us. In trying to unite our will to His, in joy and sorrow, small things and crazy huge things, we not only please God, we enter deeper into union with Him.

Our pilgrimage is a journey of going deeper and learning more about uniting our will to His.  The road will lead us deeper into the mystery of who we are in God's eyes and who we are as persons - as sons of God (firstborn-type-heirs).  Moreover, we are invited deeper into the mystery of the Holy Trinity.

Our desire to please Him and to enter deeper into union, being open to learn and be teachable for all He wants to teach us, is the best first next step on the road to living in His will.  On the road to union, we can drop off bags along the way that contain all that prevent our progress on the road and stop or slow the union.

Every day life doesn't usually feel like another step towards heaven or union with God. The small things of the trenches seem so removed from holy thoughts and uplifting ideas.

This is where its important to remember the reality of God's presence with us. He is here with us in everything, yes even while you read this and not just in your quiet holy moment. He will still be right with you when you're weary, frustrated, tired, delighted, moved, forgetful or worried.  

Making a habit of realising He is always there is a good step in then developing the practice of consciously wanting to live according to God's will.  If all our phases and waves of the day could be consciously lived in His presence - how much more aware we might be of His will in every moment!

Jesus said 'anyone who does the will of God'... we don't need permission, special qualifications or a permit to start today!  Let's pray for one another that we each grow to desire truly what He wants for us - in the little as well as the big things.  

Lectio and the word of God

The blog has been in hibernation over winter while Lizzie circulated her Advent and Christmas posts and we all had time to digest the vast mysteries of the Christmas season. The reformed calendar draws Christmas to a close with the Baptism of Jesus soon after Epiphany, but an older tradition stretches it out until the feast of the Presentation on 2 February where we sing with Simeon of Jesus, the 'light to enlighten the Gentiles'. The Crib and Christmas trees are still up in our house!

Sunday yesterday was the day which is now dedicated to the Word of God, a reminder of the importance that Scripture should have in our lives. As before Advent, this blog will be written over the next few months to help you with the process of doing lectio divina - the 'divine reading' of God's word. It is an essential part of our COLW formation as we walk ever more closely with God.

We will post three to four times a week on the gospel of the day, suggesting ways to think about the Scriptures which we hope you are all learning to read on a daily basis. You can use the Universalis app (available on Google Play) if you want to read the gospel of the day's Mass, or you can just make your way slowly through your favourite gospel. 

The key is not the quantity of Scripture that we read, but rather our willingness to read it 'at depth'. This means reading in a different way; reading slowly, reading meditatively, stopping and dwelling on certain phrases that strike us. It is not just about reading but about rumination.

St Paul writes of the Holy Spirit who prays in us with unutterable groanings. In lectio divina, we invite the Holy Spirit in union with His Spouse Mary, to read in us and with us. We ask Him, in other words, to share His Wisdom with us - His Wisdom which is also the Word of God, the Son.

 We can also ask our Guardian Angels for help. While they watch over us, our Guardian Angels also behold the vision of the Blessed Trinity. They stand, as it were, atop the hill we are trying to climb, but they are already at the summit and see the extraordinary beauty of God's face of which we catch a glimpse in Sacred Scripture. Let us ask their assistance as we ponder God's face in the gospels.

Lectio divina is also lectio beata - happy or blessed reading. O Mary help us to read deeply and happily the Word of God every morning of our lives!