Daily Readings - Tue Oct 27 2020
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 and the transformative power of God’s grace. In the first reading from Ephesians, St. Paul writes about the relationship between husbands and wives, emphasizing mutual respect and love. He calls wives to submit to their husbands as a reflection of the Church’s submission to Christ, and he urges husbands to love their wives with the same self-giving love that Christ has for the Church. This passage is often misunderstood, but its heart is not about hierarchy; it’s about mutual surrender and care, rooted in the belief that marriage is a sacrament that reflects the union of Christ and his Church.
In the Gospel, Jesus uses two 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 remind us that God’s Kingdom often begins in small, unnoticed ways, but it has the power to transform and grow into something extraordinary. Like the mustard seed and leaven, our faith may seem insignificant at times, but it can have a profound impact when nurtured and allowed to grow.
Both readings encourage us to trust in the slow, often invisible work of God’s grace in our lives. Just as the mustard seed and leaven require time and patience to fulfill their purpose, our relationships and our faith require us to be patient, nurturing, and open to growth. In our marriages, families, and friendships, we are called to imitate Christ’s self-giving love, even when it’s challenging. And in our spiritual lives, we are reminded that even the smallest acts of faith can lead to great transformations. Let us ask for the grace to live with humility, patience, and love, allowing God’s Kingdom to take root and flourish in our hearts and in the world around us.