29.10-24 Petualangan Rohani: Dari Biji Sesawi Menuju Pohon Iman

Tuesday 30th week in ordinary time "Lk 13:18-21" He said therefore, "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his garden; and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches." A mustard seed grows very slowly. During the first months tiny roots are growing but you can't see anything. After a long time a couple of green leaves sprout but you can't really tell if they will be a tree or a weed. Then it's exposed to sun, to heat, to rain, sometimes to snow, freezing temperatures and even drought for a while. But the seed keeps growing steadily if it has water. Something of this sort happens in our friendship with God through our mental prayer. We decide to plant the seed and we devote a daily time to our conversation with God. But over time we see no great difference in our lives. Our defects are the same; our difficulties don't change; our bad inclinations are still there... Then comes the 'rain', 'heat', 'cold', 'drought' and we grow tired. You see difficulties but no improvement. And some people give up, stop 'watering' it with prayer and eventually our friendship with God dries up. It is the same with any task that involves commitment and entails effort. How many people have started piano lessons and now are only able to play the same agonising tune all the time at a ridiculous speed! How many wanted to learn to play the guitar and end up plucking the only monotonous melody they know! People quit because they weren't committed. For them the piano was 'nice' or 'fine' or even 'interesting'; but it was never a 'passion'. Our friendship with God has to be our passion. It grows if we keep watering it with our prayer no matter what. If God sends us rain or sunlight or drought or nice weather it doesn't change our commitment. With His help we won't give up and the seed of our friendship will still grow. Our Lord is faithful and, if we keep praying, He will make our friendship mature. Holy Mary, Mother of God, teach me to pray and help me to never give up.