Reading 1
Heb 10:32-39
Remember the days past when, after you had been enlightened,
you endured a great contest of suffering.
At times you were publicly exposed to abuse and affliction;
at other times you associated yourselves with those so treated.
You even joined in the sufferings of those in prison
and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property,
knowing that you had a better and lasting possession.
Therefore, do not throw away your confidence;
it will have great recompense.
You need endurance to do the will of God and receive what he has promised.
For, after just a brief moment,
he who is to come shall come;
he shall not delay.
But my just one shall live by faith,
and if he draws back I take no pleasure in him.
We are not among those who draw back and perish,
but among those who have faith and will possess life.
Ps 37:3-4, 5-6, 23-24, 39-40
Responsorial PsalmR. (39a)
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.
R. 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.
R. 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.
R. 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.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Gospel
Mk 4:26-34
Jesus said to the crowds:
“This is how it is with the Kingdom of God;
it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land
and would sleep and rise night and day
and 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 it is 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 to his own disciples he explained everything in private.
Meditation: Hebrews 10:32-39
“You need endurance to do the will of God.” (Hebrews 10:36)
Do you remember when you first met the Lord or experienced his love and presence in your life? You may have been so excited that you weren’t bothered about life’s difficulties. Perhaps you leaped into service—forfeiting convenience—because you were so touched by God’s love, you just had to share it. The Christians spoken about in Hebrews also experienced that “honeymoon” season. They were so awed by their new relationship with Jesus that they gladly endured persecution and imprisonment for his sake. And even if they weren’t experiencing maltreatment at that moment, they helped out the people who were. They almost went looking for trouble!
The trouble is, trouble found them, in the form of weariness. And so the author of Hebrews exhorted them to press on through faith in Jesus.
Trouble, it seems, finds us too. Our passion, initially concentrated, may become diluted by the cares of home and work. And then there’s the devil, who tries to draw our attention from Jesus with distractions of the world or feelings of unworthiness.
But this isn’t the end of the story. God promises to refresh and replenish you. He knows there are times when you need endurance, and he’s more than ready to help. All he asks is that you persevere in prayer and keep his word in your heart. If you can stay faithful to these two simple practices, he will give you the grace you need not only to survive but to thrive.
Remember: God values deep, long-term faith more than fleeting passion. He knows that the life he has called us to is more like a marriage than a brief love affair. It takes a lot of work for two to become one! Of course there is passion and excitement, but there is also consistency and commitment.
Brothers and sisters, God is committed to us for all eternity. How can we respond to such commitment except to try our best to be just as committed? So let’s press on, knowing that God is working all things, both easy and hard, for our good. Let’s use our imaginations to hear him asking: “Do you take me as Lord of your life—for the rest of your life? To love and honor me all your days?”
“I do, Lord!”
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