Reading and meditation on the Word of God on Monday of the 17th week in ordinary time, July 27, 2026

Delivered by Ria from the Parish of Good Shepherd in the Diocese of Surabaya, Indonesia. Jeremiah 13: 1-11; Rs psalm: Deut 32: 18-19.20-21; Matius 13: 31-35.WE ARE LIKE MUSTARD SEED AND YEAST The theme for our meditation today is: We Are LikeMustard Seed and Yeast. There was a friendship that was not between humanbeings, but between mustard seed and yeast. They both were kept in a shop, butit was not easy to locate them among the many big things being displayed. Onemorning the mustard seed said to his friend: "Hopefully today I have agood fortune." His friend responded, "What do you mean goodfortune?" Mustard seed replied: "Hopefully a buyer will buy me."They both agreed that they must indeed be useful when they are used by men. Both are immobile, wrapped securely in plastics, smallin size, and unnoticed among all other objects around them. If you were someonewho was in the shop but didn't want to buy anything, what you saw weredefinitely big and attractive things. You never took a slightest time to thinkand see small objects such as mustard seed or yeast. Only people who havespecific purpose for small objects, will try to find and buy them. Then theywill eventually be used according to those people's intentions. Jesus had made the Kingdom of God as the core of Histeaching to people who increasingly followed and heard Him day after day. Theyhad never received such teachings before from the time of Abraham and prophets.They never imagined what the kingdom of God looked like. However, Jesus was thepersonification of the Kingdom itself, He who was speaking and being with them.If there is a new teaching to be inserted into the hearts of people who arestill innocent, the teaching must start from the smallest and simplestbeginning. For those who are already full with knowledge and beliefs such asthe leaders of the Jews, things about the Kingdom of God must be taught withextreme complexity and patience. In using parables in His teaching, Jesus made use ofthings that were familiar and simple to the common understanding of the people,so that the complexity and the depth of divine message can be accepted by Hislisteners. If every day you read and listen to the word of God, this profile ofmustard seeds and yeast are enough to explain that this Word is preserved inyour mind and heart, and this will be the the power of God to renew yourself.If you regularly receive the Holy Communion, or regularly make yourconfessions, the profile of mustard seeds and yeast are enough to make you knowabout the growth of your faith though apparently hidden but real and will bearfruits in its proper time. The Lord puts His kingdom in us through variousevents and forms. All of these, even though hidden within us, are growing andnurtured by Him with or without our knowledge. When times of difficulty, trial,struggle, and sickness come, the power of His Kingdom will come out to help usspeak, act and behave.Let'spray. In the name of the Father ... O Lord Jesus, may we be a worthy place forthe growth of the Kingdom of God. Our Father who art in heaven ... In the nameof the Father ...