26 Oct 2010, Tuesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1
Eph 5:21-33 or Eph 5:2a, 25-32

Brothers and sisters:
Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord.
For the husband is head of his wife
just as Christ is head of the Church,
he himself the savior of the Body.
As the Church is subordinate to Christ,
so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything.
Husbands, love your wives,
even as Christ loved the Church
and handed himself over for her to sanctify her,
cleansing her by the bath of water with the word,
that he might present to himself the Church in splendor,
without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,
that she might be holy and without blemish.
So also husbands should love their wives as their own bodies.
He who loves his wife loves himself.
For no one hates his own flesh
but rather nourishes and cherishes it,
even as Christ does the Church,
because we are members of his Body.

For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.

This is a great mystery,
but I speak in reference to Christ and the Church.
In any case, each one of you should love his wife as himself,
and the wife should respect her husband.

or

Brothers and sisters:
Live in love, as Christ loved us.
Husbands, love your wives,
even as Christ loved the church
and handed himself over for her to sanctify her,
cleansing her by the bath of water with the word,
that he might present to himself the church in splendor,
without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,
that she might be holy and without blemish.
So also husbands should love their wives as their own bodies.
He who loves his wife loves himself.
For no one hates his own flesh
but rather nourishes and cherishes it,
even as Christ does the church,
because we are members of his body.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.
This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the church.

Responsorial PsalmR. (1a)
Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5

Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Blessed are you who fear the LORD,
who walk in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
blessed shall you be, and favored.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your home;
Your children like olive plants
around your table.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Behold, thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion:
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Gospel
Lk 13:18-21

Jesus said, “What is the Kingdom of God like?
To what can I compare it?
It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in the garden.
When it was fully grown, it became a large bush
and the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.”

Again he said, “To what shall I compare the Kingdom of God?
It is like yeast that a woman took
and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour
until the whole batch of dough was leavened.”

Meditation: Luke 13:18-21

“What is the kingdom of God like? … It is like a mustard seed… . It is like yeast.” (Luke 13:18,19,21)


Jesus chose his images carefully. In today’s Gospel, he compares the kingdom of God to a mustard seed and a pinch of yeast. Both are very small, but both are loaded with great potential.

Our life in Christ may seem very ordinary, but it can still have a great impact on the world around us. While there are many big things we can do, even little gestures like a ready smile can brighten someone’s day. A kind deed can lighten another’s burden. Even the way we persevere through a difficulty or resolve a conflict peacefully can be a powerful witness to the kingdom.

Or look at today’s first reading. The kind of marriage described here can be a light for the world and a place of refuge for many. In a marriage characterized by mutual submission, each partner puts the other’s needs and preferences first. The husband and wife actively seek to grow in unity of heart and mind. They practice sacrificial love, and together they reach out generously to others.

Most of this loving may seem small and insignificant, like a mustard seed or a bit of yeast. There’s nothing dramatic about picking up laundry, remembering an anniversary, cleaning up after a meal, coordinating calendars and responsibilities, or putting down the newspaper to listen attentively. But myriad small moments like these knead kingdom love into our daily lives and create an environment where Jesus is welcome.

If you are married, reflect on the grace of the sacrament you have received. Perhaps at your wedding you were focused on details that have since faded from memory: the flowers, the music, the food. You were on an emotional pinnacle and perhaps not fully aware of the spiritual significance of the occasion. Nevertheless, when you made the promises that bound you together, you received Christ in and through each other.

Even if his presence was as imperceptible as a tiny seed, he was still present. Rediscover him and give him room to grow. And don’t forget to tell your spouse the three most important words in the world: “I love you.”

“Jesus, thank you for your presence in my life and my relationships. Let your life grow in me.”