Imagine yourself at the gardening section at Bunnings. Buying, planting and growing plants from seeds is never easy!

Today’s Gospel Reading consists of two parables about seeds. In the first, Jesus tells those gathered that this is “how it is with the kingdom of God.” A person scatters seed which over time sprouts and develops. Then when the grain is ripe, the person harvests the crop. The emphasis in the parable is on the seed, which seemingly has the power to grow on its own. I suppose it is like God’s Kingdom, while in our midst it still needs time to grow.

The second parable focuses on the tiny mustard seed. Small as the mustard seed is, it develops into a tree. Though the mustard tree generally averages only nine to twelve feet in height, it has a wide expanse and provides a nesting place for birds.

Just as the tree welcomes the birds, so is God’s kingdom welcoming, and open to many.
These agricultural parables help us discern something about the kingdom of God and our own faith.

In God, we live and move and have our being, but God is a mystery and his kingdom, though present, has not yet come into its fullness.

The mission of proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom given to the Apostles is now given to us. But just as seeds need time to come to fruition, so does the Kingdom of God.

We know that it will come in its fullness at the end of time. What we need now in our Sunshine Coast parish is patience, persistence and most of all, we need faith!

You won’t find this advice at Bunnings! Perhaps these 10 modern day commandments might help and guide us as we potter about in God’s good garden this week!

ONE:  Prayer is not a “spare wheel” that you pull out when in trouble, but it is a “steering wheel” that directs the right path throughout the journey.

TWO:  So why is a car’s WINDSHIELD so large and the Rear View Mirror so small? Because our PAST is not as important as our FUTURE. So, look ahead and move on.

THREE:  Friendship is like a BOOK. It takes a few minutes to burn, but it takes years to write.

FOUR: All things in life are temporary. If going well, enjoy it, they will not last forever. If going wrong, don’t worry, they can’t last long either.

FIVE:  Old Friends are Gold! New Friends are Diamond! If you get a Diamond, don’t forget the Gold! Because to hold a Diamond, you always need a base of Gold.

SIX:  Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, GOD smiles from above and says, “Relax, sweetheart, it’s just a bend, not the end!”

SEVEN:  When GOD solves your problems, you have faith in HIS abilities; when GOD doesn’t solve your problems HE has faith in your abilities.

EIGHT:  A blind person asked St Anthony, “Can there be anything worse than losing eye sight?” He replied, “Yes, losing your vision!”

NINE:  When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them, and sometimes, when you are safe and happy, remember that someone has prayed for you.

TEN:  WORRYING does not take away tomorrow’s TROUBLES, it takes away today’s PEACE.

Fr Peter Brannelly