Monday – 17th Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel – Matthew 13:31-35

A Real “Dilly” of a Situation

Pickling Season!

As most of you know, I consider myself a bit of a baker – bread, brownies and, of course, zucchini bread and muffins, among other things.  But I’m not a one-hit wonder; I do have other skills and lately I have been re-visiting my canning recipes and, given the bountiful harvest of cucumbers we are having, I have been prepping and canning dill pickles! 

This past week I was putting together all the ingredients and suddenly realized I needed mustard seeds.  But after visiting 4 different grocery stores, no luck!! Not a single seed to be found!   So I thought – just leave it out, what can it hurt!  It’s such a tiny little thing; what difference could it make!  And then I started checking out online comments and the response was overwhelming!  Don’t ever leave out the mustard seed!  It will completely change the taste of the pickles, and not in a good way!  Who knew!

So, after checking 2 more stores, I finally found the mustard seed and the pickling process continued!  And the family reaction was very positive!  It’s amazing how such a tiny little seed (check the pic – it’s those tiny little round seeds in the mason jars) can produce such a burst of flavor!

And yet, I should have known that already, given today’s Gospel.  Obviously, Jesus knows a thing or two about mustard seed – the tiniest of seeds and yet it grows like a weed, even in the worst of conditions. 

From a tiny mustard seed, great things not only grow but take root and spread with great abandon!  The Kingdom of God, and our faith, wherever it is planted, starts small and from humble beginnings.  But through time and effort, it blossoms and thrives.  So what about us?  Don’t we all carry that seed of faith within us?  How are we tending the seed?  How are we helping it to grow slow and steady?  How are we growing in faith?  How are we spreading the faith in our daily lives? 

 

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