Gospel

‘The mustard seed becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.’
From the Gospel according to Matthew 13:31-35

At that time: Jesus put another parable before the crowd, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.’
  He told them another parable. ‘The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.’
  All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet: ‘I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.’

The Gospel of the Lord

Let It Grow.

In our marriage, on our wedding day, God planted the seed so that the Kingdom of God might grow among us, in our home. The Holy Spirit united us so that we might live out the beautiful plan He had prepared for us. He is always present, but this seed of the Kingdom of God cannot grow unless we welcome His grace. It cannot grow unless we allow ourselves to be transformed by His love, unless we become docile to Him. Every act of self-denial, every act of self-giving and welcome towards our spouse, every prayer in which we bring our sacrament before Him, whenever our vocation as husband and wife is the priority in our lives—all of this, always united to the Heart of Christ.
Then one day, almost without noticing it, we see that beautiful Kingdom of God which has grown within us and between us.

Applied to Married Life:

Louise: Paul, you’ve been very quiet today.
Paul: Yes, Louise. I was deeply moved during the Eucharist today. The Lord showed me just how beautiful every day we spend together is, despite all the difficulties.
Louise: The Kingdom of God has grown in our home like the mustard seed. From little things that seemed insignificant, the Holy Spirit has worked wonders.
Paul: Do you remember how difficult I found it at the beginning to let go of my attachment to professional success? It was something that kept driving us apart.
Louise: Yes, and now we place everything in God’s hands—and I think things have actually gone even better! As for me, jealousy used to cloud my judgement, and it caused us so many arguments and so much suffering.
Paul: That’s true, but praying together has allowed the Lord to show you more and more that it is our marriage, our sacrament, that is at the centre of my heart.
Louise: And then, all of a sudden, we look around and there it is—a great tree. But we mustn’t neglect it; we need to remain in the Heart of Christ, holding firmly to His hand.

Mother,
May we continue each day to allow the Kingdom of God to grow within our marriage. Praised be God!