Daily Gospel Reflection for July 31, 2023

Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.

Reflection by Colleen O'Dowd

Today's Gospel: Matthew 13:31-35

Mustard seeds and yeast.

More Jesus and The Food Network.

Not really -- but I like to think about what Ignatius of Loyola, whose feast we celebrate today, might have been thinking about just before he picked up that lives of the saints book, the book that changed his life . . . and mine.

Although Ignatius didn't start out a saint, being laid up and injured after taking a cannonball to the knee must have given him pause to think . . . and get bored. He was probably ready for some nutty parables and other wild stories -- about the people who would introduce him to Jesus.

The thing about the mustard seed turning into a large bush that housed the many birds of the air and the yeast that increased the yield of the dough and the bread is that these elements become more. They leave things bigger and better than they found them. They raise the bar of usefulness and sacrifice. They find their God-given gift to the world as it were and lay it on the altar.

Birds are waiting for the mustard seed to break itself open and share itself.

People are hungering for the bread the yeast will help yield when it surrenders to the rest of the ingredients.

One tenet of the Jesuits, founded by St. Ignatius, is MAGIS -- meaning the search to be MORE.

Everything that God creates is good and/or very good, and it will always seek to be more -- for the love of God! Not more as in the opposite of less or lacking, but MORE through the lens of knowing our goal is God, heaven, and to bring others with us.

Ponder:

In what area of my life is Jesus inviting me to search out ways to be MORE for God and others?

Pray:

Lord Jesus, I desire to be MORE. You have created me for MORE. Help me to discern my charism, my special gift from You that I am meant to share with the world.

Click to tweet:
Everything that God creates is good and/or very good, and it will always seek to be more -- for the love of God! #DailyGospel

Copyright 2023 Colleen O'Dowd

Colleen O’Dowd is a parish missionary at Our Lady of Ransom in Niles, IL. She loves being Catholic; her Converse all-stars, crocs and socks are always liturgically correct; and she is a super-saint-geek! She blogs ultra-occasionally at www.ourheartswereburningwithin.wordpress.com and can also be found @catholiccolleen on Twitter and Instagram.