“Allowing the Hand of God to work even in the small things that we do!”
(Based on Eph 5:21-33 and Lk 13:18-21 – Tuesday for the 30th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)
A young Christian businessman who had established himself well in his area of work, was once interviewed by a journalist…
… and asked for the secret of his quick success.
“Well”, said the young businessman, “I attribute all my success to my Lord!
From my college days, I have sought to give God the first place in my life.
And He has always led me!
There is a simple formula that I always hold on to…
The formula goes thus:
‘Where God’s in charge,
Little things grow large!
And in God’s Hand,
Small gifts expand!”
So true, isn’t it?
If we allow the Hand of God to work even in the small things that we do…
… we will surely experience the bountifulness of His Grace working miraculously!
The Gospel of the Day is a recounting of this Great Truth of our life, when Jesus expounds the “Miracle of God’s Hand in the littleness of our life” with the help of two examples:
- The Mustard Seed
“… a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his garden…
… and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches!” (Lk 13: 19) - Leaven
“… like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened!” (Lk 13:21)
One of the beautiful lessons that the Lord teaches from these two metaphors of daily life is that: Our little works done for God, should never cause us to feel discouraged in life!
The little mustard seed and the little leaven…
… were not really expected to do great things
… were not quite symbols of greatness or majesty
Yet, the Lord – in His Divine Wisdom – uses these “little aspects of life” to project His Mighty Story of the Kingdom!
As St Paul says: “God chose the foolish of the world, to shame the wise…
… and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong..” (1 Cor 1: 27)
This is the truth we come across in the Mighty Story of the Kingdom, as we scan through the pages of the Bible…
… even in the Life of Jesus!
Jesus was born into a small Family from Nazareth in the smallest of villages (Bethlehem).
His Ministry started in one of the smallest places – Galilee.
Galilee was an insignificant portion of an obscure part of the Roman world.
He went no further than Jerusalem with His message
In the time of the Roman Empire, Jerusalem was not considered a cultural centre.
… Rome, Athens and Alexandria featured more prominently on the political and cultural radar.
In fact, for the Romans, Jerusalem was a city of fanatic Jews – to be best controlled by an army of troops and easily-swaying kings like Herod and his family!
Yet, Jesus has become the greatest influencer in Human History!
“Where God’s in charge,
Little things grow large!
And in God’s Hand,
Small gifts expand!”
Life doesn’t always give us great opportunities to perform big acts of charity and kindness.
But our life is filled with immense chances…
… to “sow tiny mustard seeds”
… and to “mix little leaven”…
Do we make the best use of such chances: To sow the “tiny mustard seeds”…
Of Gentleness… in the rough terrains of pride and haughty lives
Of Love… in the field of broken relationships and strained associations
Of Mercy… in the territories of hateful feelings and unforgiving hearts
To “mix the little leaven”…
Of undiluted Christian convictions… in the dough of easy-going-life and relativistic mentality
Of contagious passion… with the flour of lethargic and lazy attitudes to life
Of credible life witness… in the mixture of scandalous trends and discouraging religiosity
Servant of God, Fr Peter Mermier (the Founder of the MSFS – Missionaries of St Francis de Sales) says:
“We do a lot in doing a little, if we do it for God, when and as He wishes!”
God doesn’t mind much the size of our works…
… but at the amount of love we add to it!
God doesn’t look at the fanfare in our acts of service…
… but at the volume of selflessness we add to it!
Of course, the world may not appreciate such “simple and little works!”
But let the “tiny mustard seed” and the “little leaven” remind us:
Our little works done for God, should never cause us to feel discouraged in life!
Yes…
“Where God’s in charge,
Little things grow large!
And in God’s Hand,
Small gifts expand!”
(P.S: Psst… Did you add an “extra bit of God’s Love” while reading this reflection…?)
God Bless! Live Jesus!
Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
THE EUCHARIST IN THE ECONOMY OF SALVATION – Take this and eat it, all of you”: Communion
As bodily nourishment restores lost strength, so the Eucharist strengthens our charity, which tends to be weakened in daily life; and this living charity wipes away venial sins.
By giving himself to us Christ revives our love and enables us to break our disordered attachments to creatures and root ourselves in him:
Since Christ died for us out of love, when we celebrate the memorial of his death at the moment of sacrifice we ask that love may be granted to us by the coming of the Holy Spirit.
We humbly pray that in the strength of this love by which Christ willed to die for us, we, by receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, may be able to consider the world as crucified for us, and to be ourselves as crucified to the world…… Having received the gift of love, let us die to sin and live for God. (CCC #1394)
Reflection Capsules 