Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day!

Eleventh Sunday of Ordinary time, the reading tells us about the birth and growth of the Kingdom of God. I am writing this message from the Extreme Faith Camp in Mason. It is a beautiful facility. But the most beautiful thing is young people from different parishes in our diocese come together for a week. It is lovely to see that high school leaders with the assistance of adults guide the middle school campers. When it started, it was for one week. Over the years, there has been great interest and there are three weeks to accommodate all the youth from the diocese. When we talk about spreading and bearing the fruit of the kingdom of God, I want to share with you this incredible experience. Some of our young people are also part of the extreme faith camp for this week.

The first reading from Ezekiel tells us the Lord will plant the topmost branches of cedar on the mountain of Israel, which will become a tree where there will dwell all beasts and birds. Ezekiel wrote this passage during the Babylonian exile. The oracle of Ezekiel talks about the restoration of the Davidic Kingdom which sheds light on the parable of the mustard seed in today’s Gospel (Mark 4:26-34). The shoot refers to the descendants of the David Kingdom which we read in Isaiah 11:1 “A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.” In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus, from the house of David, talks about the Kingdom of heaven.

We read two parables for this Sunday. Jesus takes the natural growth of a seed to    explain the growth of the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God visibly matures like a grain. In the first parable, the maturing of the grain signifies our increase in faith and  virtue. The second parable of the mustard seed leads us to look at the smallest seed which brings the great shrub and gives the home for the birds of the sky. The imagery Jesus brings here is drawn from the Old Testament, the oracle that describes the     dominion of Babylon (Daniel 4:10-12), Egypt (Ezekiel 31:1-6), and Israel (Ezekiel 17:22-24) which is our first reading.

Jews were waiting for the coming of the Messiah. Most of them expected a political  Messiah to liberate Israel from the Romans. For the Pharisees, the Kingdom of God is the absolute observance of the Mosaic Law. Jesus’ Kingdom of God starts in human hearts here on earth and is completed in heaven, where we experience its fullness. The Word of God is a seed that needs to be planted in our hearts and gives nourishment that will bring a great harvest.

The second reading, from the second letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians (5:6-10) gives us a summary of all three readings. St. Paul instructs the Corinthians that while we are here on earth the scripture and sacraments will give the presence of Christ, but in   eternity we have the opportunity to see him face-to-face. At every Mass let us offer   ourselves to God and ask Him to bless us, and the Kingdom of God will grow in us and bring a great harvest.