Jan 31 2025

First reading Hebrews 10:32-39

We are the sort who keep faithful

Remember all the sufferings that you had to meet after you received the light, in earlier days; sometimes by being yourselves publicly exposed to insults and violence, and sometimes as associates of others who were treated in the same way. For you not only shared in the sufferings of those who were in prison, but you happily accepted being stripped of your belongings, knowing that you owned something that was better and lasting. Be as confident now, then, since the reward is so great. You will need endurance to do God’s will and gain what he has promised.

Only a little while now, a very little while,

and the one that is coming will have come; he will not delay.

The righteous man will live by faith,

but if he draws back, my soul will take no pleasure in him.

You and I are not the sort of people who draw back, and are lost by it; we are the sort who keep faithful until our souls are saved.

Responsorial Psalm 36(37):3-6,23-24,39-40

The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Trust in the Lord and do good,
that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will grant you your heart’s requests.
The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Commit to the Lord your way;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will make justice dawn for you like the light;
bright as the noonday shall be your vindication.
The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
By the Lord are the steps of a man made firm,
and he approves his way.
Though he fall, he does not lie prostrate,
for the hand of the Lord sustains him.
The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
The salvation of the just is from the Lord;
he is their refuge in time of distress.
And the Lord helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

Gospel Mark 4:26-34

The kingdom of God is a mustard seed growing into the biggest shrub of all

Jesus said to the crowds: ‘This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man throws seed on the land. Night and day, while he sleeps, when he is awake, the seed is sprouting and growing; how, he does not know. Of its own accord the land produces first the shoot, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the crop is ready, he loses no time: he starts to reap because the harvest has come.’

He also said, ‘What can we say the kingdom of God is like? What parable can we find for it? It is like a mustard seed which at the time of its sowing in the soil is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet once it is sown it grows into the biggest shrub of them all and puts out big branches so that the birds of the air can shelter in its shade.’

Using many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, so far as they were capable of understanding it. He would not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything to his disciples when they were alone.

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Smallness

The Kingdom of God does not manifest through grand, awe-inspiring events; instead, it often begins in the humble, unassuming moments of our daily lives. It is in these simple instances—like a kind word shared, a helping hand offered, or a moment of genuine connection—where the seeds of love are quietly sown and grown.

We are called to place our trust in God, who nurtures these tiny seeds of love and helps them flourish. Just as a mustard seed, despite its small size, can develop into a large tree that provides shelter and nourishment, God has the power to transform our lives in similar ways. He nurtures seeds of love within us, transforming us into sources of hope and support for those around us. Through our words and actions, people can experience His limitless love.

Reflective question:
What is God’s message to me in this time of prayer?

Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year C” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD.