11th Sunday, B
Today Jesus offers us two parables to help us understand what the Kingdom of God is like. To help us get into them, I thought it might be helpful to review what is meant by the Kingdom of God:
“The Kingdom of God is [Jesus’] presence among human beings calling them to a new way of life as individuals and as a community. This is a kingdom of salvation from sin and a sharing in divine life. It is the Good News that results in love, justice, and mercy for the whole world. The Kingdom is realized partially on earth and permanently in heaven. We enter this kingdom through faith in Christ, baptismal initiation into the Church, and life in communion with all her members.” (United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, 80)
The parables today offer us the image of the seed to help us understand how this Kingdom of God grows and develops. The seed is the presence of Jesus or in other words, grace. The good soil in which the seed is planted is ourselves as human beings, unique and unrepeatable creations of God. The seed of grace is planted in our inner selves—our heart, soul, and mind—beginning at our baptism, and from that point on it grows (if we allow it).
