Catholic Daily Reading + Reflection (Homily) 13 June 2021 – From Little Seed To Large Tree
Mass Readings, Reflection – Homily for Sunday June 13, 2021
ELEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Vestment: Green
Today’s Rosary: The Glorious Mystery
Theme of the Sunday: FROM LITTLE SEED TO LARGE TREE. The tree comes from a little seed, says today’s gospel. This is how the Kingdom of God develops in us: it begins like the little seed, the Word of God. It is not noisy, not showy, but it glows, it produces fruit and transforms us. The second reading shows the culmination of this. At the end of our lives we will see the people we have become. That day will mark the beginning of our new lives with Christ.
The Gloria
When indicated this hymn is either sung or said
Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of good will.
We bless you,
we adore you,
we glorify you,
we give you thanks for your great glory,
Lord God, heavenly King,
O God, almighty Father.
Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us;
you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.
For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
FIRST READING
“I have made the low tree high.”
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 17:22-24)
Thus says the Lord God: “I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar, and will set it out; I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I myself will plant it upon a high and lofty mountain; on the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bring forth boughs and bear fruit, and become a noble cedar; and under it will dwell all kinds of beasts; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest. And all the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.”
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 92: 1-2. 12-13.14-15 (R. see la)
R/. It is good to give thanks to you, O Lord.
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to make music to your name, O Most High,
to proclaim your loving mercy in the morning,
and your truth in the watches of the night. R.
The just will flourish like the palm tree,
and grow like a Lebanon cedar.
Planted in the house of the Lord,
they will flourish in the courts of our God. R.
R/. It is good to give thanks to you, O Lord.
They will still bear fruit when they are old,
still full of sap, still green,
to proclaim that the Lord is upright.
In him, my rock, there is no wrong. R.
SECOND READING
“Whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please the Lord.”
A reading from the second Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 5:6-10)
Brethren: We are always of good courage; we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. We are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body.
The word of the Lord.
ALLELUIA
Alleluia. The seed is the word of God, the sower is Christ; all who come to him will live for ever. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
“The mustard seed is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet it becomes the greatest of all shrubs.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mark 4.26-34)
At that time: Jesus said to the crowds, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed upon the ground, and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he knows not how. The earth produces of itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
The Gospel of the Lord.
The Creed (I Believe)
I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL
The kingdom and the mustard seed.
PRIEST: God our Father does not despise the small and humble. Let us ask him for the grace by which the mustard seed of the Church may grow and spread to every corner of the world.
READER:
For the spread of the Church, (pause), may she be so forgetful to herself and live only for the kingdom of God, that she will grow in all sorts of hidden ways, so that people will find in her a solace and strength. (pause), Lord, have pity; hear our humble prayer we pray Oh Lord.
For philosophers in our world, (pause), may they disprove he theory that might is right, and always teach that small is beautiful, especially if it is a human person, however insignificant. (pause), Lord, have pity; hear our humble prayer we pray Oh Lord.
For those whose work seems unimportant, (pause), may the recognize the value of all work as a sharing in the creative activity of God, and may society learn to appreciate the contribution made by all its workers. (pause), Lord, have pity; hear our humble prayer we pray Oh Lord.
For this community, (pause), may our inner peace of soul grow and deepen as we remember the apparent failure of the Cross, which ended in the victory of Easter Day. (pause), Lord, have pity; hear our humble prayer we pray Oh Lord.
We pray in silence for our own petitions.
PRIEST: Father, humble though we are, we make our prayers to you. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Today’s Reflection
The reign of God is over looked by most, like an insignificant seed, but cherished by those who know its full potential. As a plant grows unnoticed, so does the development of God’s reign escape our awareness. “We walk by faith, not by sight.” But there is a different between plant growth and the development of the reign of God. A long time is required to see the progress of a plant. However, time alone will not reveal the action of God in the world today; we need the eyes of faith. With the eyes of faith we recognize the reign of God being realized in our midst everywhere and at all times. The reigns of God, for example, unfolds in our homes whenever we are patient or forgiving towards those we live with. It may be recognized in the helping hand extended to anyone in need, or in the gentle and healing touch of a health-caretaker.
Today’s Saint and Quote St Anthony of Padua – June 13th
– Christ acts like a loving mother. To induce us to follow Him, He gives us Himself as an example and promises us a reward in His kingdom.
– Christians must lean on the Cross of Christ just as travelers lean on a staff when they begin a long journey.
– Earthly riches are like the reed. Its roots are sunk in the swamp, and its exterior is fair to behold; but inside it is hollow. If a man leans on such a reed, it will snap off and pierce his soul.
– Attribute to God every good that you have received. If you take credit for something that does not belong to you, you will be guilty of theft.
Personal Devotional
“When you give something to a needy person, do not make a big show of it, as the hypocrites do in the houses of worship and on the streets. They have already been paid in full”. Matthew 6:2
– Pray that our hearts will continue to be sensitized to the pain of those in need and that God will help us to remain committed to generous living.
– Pray for the orphan, widows and widowers that God may assist them.
– Pray for all accident victims in the hospitals that the Lord may hasten their healing.
– Pray that Christians everywhere will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to be strong in the face of opposition and to share and live out their faith without fear.
Let Us Pray
Dear Jesus my shepherd, give me courage and strength to overcome my fears, to stand firm in my faith, to live in accordance with your word, to walk the path of truth and love even when it is dangerous.
Grant me the grace to share my gift with my fellow brethren, especially those that have non. Grant me the courage to have dogged trust in your care and protection over me even in the midst of darkest situation.
Memory Verse: Haggai 2:4