11B SUNDAY HOMILY, MARK 4:26-34, June 16, 2024
1. STORY
One warm autumn day, little Mary dropped a seed into a hole in the
ground, covered it up, and waited for her flower to grow. When the snow came and covered the ground, the
little seed could not grow. After
waiting for weeks and months, Mary urged the seed to grow. The seed said it was cold, the ground was
hard, and she must ask the snow to go away. Mary then asked the snow to melt. The snow told Mary to ask the sun to shine. The sun told Mary to ask the wind to move the
clouds so that the sun could shine and melt the snow. The wind told Mary to ask God to let it blow. Finally, the sun melted the snow, the earth
turned soft, and the flower came up. She
learned it is God who makes all things grow.
2. GOSPEL: MARK 4:26-34
A. THE FARMER PLANTS THE SEED.
The farmer was the one who “scattered the seed on the land.” Also, “When the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle” to gather in the harvest. The farmer does not know how this growth happens.
B. GOD CAUSES THE SEED TO GROW.
It is God who makes the seed grow. Because of God “the land yields fruit, first
the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.”
3. APPLICATION TO LIFE
This parable tells us about the growth of our Catholic Church. God has assigned a role for us, a work we must do to help God in building up his Church. We must do our part and at the same time remember that it is God who is ultimately responsible for the growth of the Church. We are his important co-workers. Here are two suggestions explaining how we can work along with God.
A. BY OUR PRAYERS
We must pray for the following.
i) We pray for those in the Church, especially for our families and all
other Catholics that they have a strong faith to resist the temptations in the
world and remain faithful followers of Jesus.
ii) We pray for those outside of the Church especially for those who are
baptized but have left Jesus and for those who have never heard of Jesus.
iii) We pray for those suffering from wars and persecutions as in the Middle East and for those who have limited freedom to practise their faith as in China.
B. BY OUR ACTIONS
We can help the Church by our actions.
i) We must be kind to people in our words and attitude. People are made happy when people are kind to
them.
ii) We must encourage those Catholics who have left Jesus to return to
him. Be willing to take them to church
along with you.
iii) We must be concerned about the elderly, the sick, the lonely, and
the poor. Do what you can to bring some
joy and happiness into their lives. By
acting in this way, we are following the example of Jesus.
4. CONCLUSION
Little Mary realized that it is God who makes things grow. The parable tells us that both the farmer and
God cooperate so that the seed can grow and produce fruit. The parable is about the growth of the
Catholic Church. We help God in this
task.
