Daily Readings - Tue Oct 30 2018
Ephesians
21Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her26to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.29After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church--30for we are members of his body.31"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."32This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church.33However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Luke
18Then Jesus asked, "What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to?19It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air perched in its branches."20Again he asked, "What shall I compare the kingdom of God to?21It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough."
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of relationships, growth, and the Kingdom of God. In the first reading from Ephesians, St. Paul writes about the relationship between husbands and wives, emphasizing mutual respect, love, and submission. He draws a profound analogy between the union of marriage and the union of Christ and the Church. Just as Christ loves and sacrifices for the Church, husbands are called to love their wives selflessly, and wives are called to respect and support their husbands. This passage reminds us that marriage is not just a human institution but a sacred reflection of God’s love and care for His people.
In the Gospel, Jesus uses two simple yet powerful parables to describe the Kingdom of God: the mustard seed and the leaven. The mustard seed, though small, grows into a great tree, providing shelter for the birds. The leaven, though hidden, transforms the entire batch of dough. These images teach us that the Kingdom of God is not about grandeur or immediate results but about small, consistent efforts that lead to transformation over time. Just as the leaven works quietly to change the dough, our faith and love can work quietly in the world to bring about God’s plan.
Both readings remind us that growth and transformation are gradual processes that require patience, love, and dedication. In our marriages, families, and communities, we are called to imitate Christ’s selfless love and to nurture one another with care and respect. Similarly, in our spiritual lives, we are called to trust in the slow but steady work of God’s grace, even when the results are not immediately visible. Let us ask for the grace to live out these teachings in our daily lives, trusting that our small acts of love and faithfulness can bring about great things in God’s time.