On this 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time, the word of God presents us with the need and urgency, both individually and as a Church, to walk the path of holiness and live an adult and mature faith. The baptism we have received has brought us into the Kingdom of God, made us children of God, and as such we must act and conduct ourselves. How do we think we can build the Kingdom of God in our lives? The word of God must be proclaimed, explained, and once understood, put into practice; otherwise, it is a seed sown in infertile soil that produces nothing, grows nothing, and helps nothing grow.
11th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
3rd week, alternate cycle
Texts taken from the booklet “On Your Word” May-June 2021
FIRST READING
From the book of the prophet Ezekiel (Ez 17:22-24)
Thus says the Lord God: «I will take a sprig from the top of the cedar, from its highest branches I will pluck it and plant it on a high and lofty mountain; I will plant it on the high mountain of Israel. It shall put forth branches and bear fruit and become a magnificent cedar. Under it every kind of bird will dwell; every winged creature will rest in the shade of its branches. And all the trees of the forest shall know that I am the Lord, who humbles the tall tree and raises the low tree, makes the green tree wither and the dry tree blossom. I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do it».
Commentary on the first reading
The prophet Ezekiel wishes to comfort the people oppressed by exile in Babylon. The restoration of Israel after the Babylonian exile is presented as a kind of resurrection. In the prophet’s oracle, the oppressed people become «a sprig» that God will take from «the top of the cedar» and plant again in the promised land on a high mountain. At first it is a tender sprig, but then it will grow and become a majestic tree. The Prophet proclaims this oracle in Babylon, at the time of the deportation. The people of Israel have been reduced to nothing: only a few remain faithful to the true law. But for the Prophet, nothing is irretrievably lost: God remains faithful to his covenant and wishes to offer humanity a different and new future. In these words we can discern the Church founded by Christ: from its humble beginnings, through the irresistible action of the word of the Gospel, it will extend to all humanity.
SECOND READING
From the second letter of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians (2 Cor 5:6-10)
Brothers and sisters, we are always full of confidence, knowing that while we dwell in the body we are exiles far from the Lord – for we walk by faith, not by sight –, and we are full of confidence and prefer to go into exile from the body and dwell with the Lord. Therefore, whether we dwell in the body or go into exile, we strive to be pleasing to him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for the deeds done in the body, whether good or evil.
Commentary on the second reading
Although still in the darkness of exile, Paul is certain that he is already in a relationship of love with God and, by the sole light of faith, expresses his absolute trust in God. He gives the faithful a description of the difficulties encountered in ministry, expressing the conviction that, even amid those hardships, eternal life is sprouting and growing. Paul clearly states that death, as entry into full and definitive communion with God, is preferable to life; but he reminds us that the life we live, also because of all the difficulties that often accompany it, is preparation for meeting Christ, before whom we will account for what we have done, both good and evil. For Paul, looking toward what awaits us should help us lead a life full of trust. In life and in death, the believer’s only concern should be to be pleasing to God at all times.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY
From the Gospel according to Mark (Mk 4:26-34)
At that time, Jesus said [to the crowd]: «This is how it is with the kingdom of God: it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land; he sleeps and rises night and day, and through it all the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come». He said: «To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? It is like a mustard seed that, when sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade». With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. Without parables he did not speak to them, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
Commentary on the Gospel of the day
Jesus came to establish the kingdom of God on earth; but at the moment when he speaks these words, little can be seen except a small group of disciples, without education or influence. To help those present interpret events with God’s perspective, Jesus tells two parables: those of the wheat seed and the mustard seed, which sprout and grow even when no one cares for them. Once the seed has been entrusted to the earth, the farmer waits. Everything seems still and inactive, but the grain does not stop; it continues to sprout and grow through its own inherent capacity. Sometimes we too share the anxiety of the first disciples. It seems to us that the work of Christians in the world is ineffective and that the kingdom of God is not advancing. Let us free ourselves from all fear. Let us remain calm and confident: God is with us. The kingdom of God has no boundaries and is made up of men and women who know how to transform their lives through the word of Jesus. This is the will that Jesus communicates to his disciples and therefore to us.
