Yesterdays Make Our Tomorrows!

Lk. 13:18-21 (Parable of the Mustard Seed)

The parable may refer to anything, anyone, or any situation which believes in successes or achievements from simple and tiny beginnings. As far as the Lord Jesus was concerned, He was referring to the "Church" He was building that would journey towards the Kingdom of God. Beginning with the Apostles, He planned to proclaim the Good News to all the world. He likened the Christian community that He was establishing to the mustard seed which has all the potential to grow at a size unimaginable based from its original size.

The life of the Church is very similar to the life of every Christian. The best analogy for this is the present project of Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, the PONDO NG PINOY (PnP). The PnP believes that small good deeds, if done regularly, would bring one to salvation. It particularly addresses the bad habits which need rehabilitation. It believes that bad habits were created because of a series of small bad acts. As one gets use to doing these small bad acts, one develops the habit of doing them and later imbibe them. Then, it becomes automatic or second nature to the person. Frequent doing of small bad acts had led the person to believe that it has become right or moral. PnP tries to reverse the process by encouraging people to do good deeds no matter how small they are. Hopefully, just as bad habits were formed out of small bad deeds, the person would imbibe doing good deeds and therefore create a good habit.

Saints were not Saints because of one act of martyrdom or charity. We believe that one could not easily be a martyr overnight. In fact, the martyrs, before that critical moment of decision, had first lived a good life and developed a faith and love for God. So much so that when the time comes, they were led to that decision to offer their lives in faith. Even Mary, the Mother of Jesus, did not say "Thy will be done!", out of the blue. Yes, she was graced by God, but she also disposed herself for that grace. The disposition to receive the grace was arrived at because of her being a good Jewish girl. She was prepared by God for the big moment. But she prepared herself by living her faith.

The stair analogy is very appropriate here. A high stair is impossible to climb with one big step. It is hard to climb if you will take two or three steps at a time. It is easiest to climb if you do it one step at a time. The impossible and the difficult maybe conquered by small steps, small victories, small deeds, or small actions. Come to think of it, life works in the same way. We were able to hurdle difficult moments in our lives because we have been triumphant in small ones! That is why we must welcome little challenges. In the future, our experiences in going through those little challenges would help us through bigger challenges. Or should I say, because we have been used to hurdling small challenges, big ones look smaller!

The Lord Jesus had seen that His Church will encounter a lot of challenges, rejections, and threats from the enemy. The parable is a reminder to the early Christian community that there is nothing they could not defeat. Not only because the Spirit will be with them, but that they had been gradually fortified by their daily triumphs of faith. The long history of the Catholic Church will show that. For the Church, it was not always laurels and roses. There were also thorns, failures, and dark times. There were lots and lots of small and big challenges to a life of faith. But every time, she would rise up in faith! Her destiny is the Kingdom. Jesus had made sure it would be so!