Mark 4:26-34
We Walk by Faith
by Rev. Jack Peterson
Reprinted by permission of "The Arlington Catholic Herald"

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Mark wrote to explain Christ
to the new Gentile converts.

Jesus said to the crowds: "This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a men were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and through it all the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how.  Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.  And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come."

He said, "To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it?  It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.  But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade."  With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.  Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.

As we jump into the heat of summer, the readings for the 11th Sunday of Ordinary Time invite us to prayerfully ponder three fundamental Christian realities: humility, faith and how to please God.

The Lord loves to engage the humble.  His favorite disciples down through the centuries are the lowly and seemingly insignificant.  The prophet Ezekiel speaks to this reality by way of analogy: "I, the Lord, bring low the high tree, lift high the lowly tree . . . make the withered tree bloom."  Our precious Lord, in today's gospel, uses a related simile.  The kingdom of God "is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all seeds on the earth.  But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants."

It is hard to overrate the importance of the virtue of humility for a Christian.  Jesus proclaims it principally by the example of his own life - birth in a stable, life in Nazareth, son of a carpenter, a man with no formal education, a rabbi who never owned a home of his own, etc.  Furthermore, Jesus proclaimed the virtue of humility in his ministry.  For example, he calls four fishermen and a tax collector to be his apostles; he empowers a Samaritan woman with five previous husbands to help convert a whole town to faith in himself: and, he avoids every effort to be crowned a king by the growing crowds. 

Additionally, the history of the church is full of humble saints, who surprise the world as God used them to build his kingdom and bring his light and love into the world.  I think of great sinners like St. Augustine who, after his conversion, his wisdom and generous service deeply impacted the church for 1,000 years.  I think of the terminally ill like St. Thérèse of Lisieux who proclaimed to the world the strength and hope that God provides as we carry our crosses in union with him.  I think of the lowly and seemingly insignificant like St. Isidore the Farmer and St. André the doorkeeper whose simple faith and dedication to daily duty have inspired countless Christians down through the centuries.  I think of the profound witness that so many young saints like St. Maria Goretti, who demonstrated remarkable faith and courage at a tender age while witnessing to the virtue of chastity.

God loves to work with and through the humble.  Second, let's glance at God's gift of faith.  "I believe. Help my unbelief,"  This prayer of a father who approaches Jesus in the Gospels (Mk 9:24) is worth repeating often during our day.  St. Paul reminds us that "we walk by faith, not by sight."  Faith is a great gift from God that demands a corresponding great response from us.  It is a gift that invites us to believe that Jesus is God, sent by the Father to redeem the world; to place al of our trust in him because he is good, loving, and powerful; and, to love him with all of our heart, soul, and mind.

This faith enables us to know, love and serve God even though we do not see him with our physical eyes, only with the eyes of faith.  We do not see the wind with our eyes, but we know it exists because of its effects.  We do not see gravity with our physical eyes, but we accept it as a reality because of what it does.  We don't see love directly, but we know it when we receive it from our parents, friend or a mentor.  So, it is with belief in God - we walk by faith, not by sight.

Finally, I would like to turn to a line from St. Paul: "We aspire to please him (the Lord), whether we are at home or away."  Do I indeed aspire to please God with my life?

How do we mortals and great sinners please God?  Firstly, we simply please God by our mere existence.  We please God because we are his children whom he fashioned in love in the depths of the earth.  As a good Father, he takes pleasure in us even when we go astray and do foolish and sinful things.  He never stops loving us, pursuing us, and granting us opportunities to return and receive new life in him.  Second, we please God by our faith: "Jesus answered them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.'" (Jn 6:29)  Third, we please God when we humbly and generously serve our neighbor n need.

Let's pray that when we come to our last days, our family might consider putting on our tombstone: "A man/woman of humility and faith.  He/she strove to please the Lord."