Rogelio Suarez, LC
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Christ, our King.
Thy Kingdom come!
Preparatory prayer (to put me in the presence of God)
Jesus, thank You for all that You have granted and will grant me this day; I ask You for the grace of perseverance to establish Your kingdom in the world through small acts of love.
Gospel of the day (to guide your meditation)
From the Holy Gospel according to Mark 4:26-34
At that time, Jesus said to the crowd: “The Kingdom of God is like what happens when a man sows seed in the ground: the nights and days go by, and without his knowing how, the seed germinates and grows; and the earth, by itself, produces the fruit: first the stalks, then the ears, and then the grains in the ears. And when the grains are ripe, the man throws in the sickle, for the time of harvest has come.” And he said to them, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God, and by what parable can we represent it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when it is sown, is the smallest of seeds; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes the largest of shrubs and puts forth branches so large that birds can nest in its shade.” And with many other such parables he was expounding his message to them, according to what they could understand. And he spoke to them only in parables; but to his disciples he explained everything privately.
Word of the Lord.
Meditate on what God tells you in the Gospel
What seems the smallest, the most insignificant, is what becomes the greatest. The kingdom of God is love and, therefore, it is established in the world through love. A great love is full of small details.
“He sleeps at night and rises in the morning; the seed germinates and grows, without Him knowing how...”. If we do what we do with love, even if the actions are small, they will leave a great mark that little by little will form the kingdom of God. The small things are not perceived with the naked eye, but it is God who sees them and makes them bear much fruit.
In establishing the kingdom of God, patience and trust are required. Patience, because the fruits are not seen immediately. These small acts are like the seed that has its time and, little by little, it grows and bears fruit. If what we did immediately would bear fruit, we would easily become accustomed to doing small things with great love. A small act, done with love, will bear unimaginable fruit, but patience is required in order not to despair and stop loving.
It also requires trust in knowing that it will be God who will bear the fruits. Trust is a primary aid to patience that will not cause us to fall into despair or disappointment when we do not see the fruits quickly.
Let us establish the kingdom of God in the world, with small details of love! Let us not want to do great works without beginning with the details that seem the most insignificant, but which in time will bear much fruit.
«The seed is neither yours, nor yours, nor mine. The seed is sown by God and it is God who gives the growth. I am the sprout, each one of us can say. Yes, but not by your merit, but by the seed that makes you grow. And what do I have to do? Water it. Water it. So that it grows and reaches that fullness of spirit. This is what you have to give as a testimony. How can this seed be watered? By taking care of it, taking care of the seed and taking care of the sprout that begins to grow!.
(Homily of H.H. Francis, December 2, 2017).
Dialogue with Christ
This is the most important part of your prayer, prepare yourself to talk with much love with the One who loves you.
Purpose
Propose a personal one. The one that involves the most love in response to the Beloved... or, if you believe that this is what God is asking of you, live what is suggested below.
To find a time to be with Jesus in the Eucharist, to increase my love for Him and to make a resolution to live this day loving in the smallest details.
Farewell
We thank you, Lord, for all your benefits, you who live and reign forever and ever.
Amen.
Christ, our King!
Thy Kingdom come!
Most prudent Virgin, Mary, Mother of the Church.
Pray for us.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
