Daily Gospel Reflection for January 26, 2018

Today's Gospel: Mark 4:26-34 - Memorial of Sts. Timothy and Titus “He spoke to them as they were able to understand it.” These words sum up the kind of teacher Jesus was for the people. He spoke to them about their daily lives in words and stories they knew. He got down to their level and helped them understand His words and teachings so that they could appreciate what He was trying to say. Jesus was not lofty, and He was not a snob who only wanted to preach to those who had the most intelligence. Jesus was someone who wanted the poor and the uneducated to hear the Word of God and not only to hear it but to understand it. Sometimes, Jesus’s parables can seem confusing to us. What does a mustard seed or plant even look like? The early Christians and the Jewish people He was speaking to would have understood this perfectly. Perhaps if Jesus came to us today He would speak of a tiny microchip that holds an entire computer program, if programmed correctly. Breaking open the word helps us understand. Jesus is telling us that faith is small. It is a small seed planted in the hearts and souls of children and as we grow, if we nurture this faith, this tiny seed will grow and grow and overtake everything. Faith will become such a big part of us that it will be what people see when they look at us, a faith-filled person working and sharing our faith in the world. However, faith cannot be nurtured without help and love from others, parents, godparents, priests, catechists and many others who help our faith blossom into its full potential. We should live every day as if we are a farmer or a programmer nurturing and building the faith of all those around us.