Collect Series Eleventh Sunday Year B

                  COLLECT SERIES

The Mass: Collect series Icon

COLLECT 

The Collect for the Eleventh Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B reads as follows:

O God, strength of those who hope in You,

Graciously hear our pleas, and since without You mortal frailty can do nothing

Grant us always the help of Your grace,

That in following Your commands we may please You by our resolve and deeds.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,

who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

 

In making this prayer tangible, the following reflection questions emerged:

1. What do I mean by hope in God?
2. What is the virtue of hope? How do I nurture this virtue in my life?
3. How does truly knowing that I can nothing with God release me and give me spiritual freedom?
4. What are the areas of my life that I still try to go it alone without God? Make a resolve to place these areas with God this coming week?
5. What areas of my life will I resolve with God’s grace to change this coming week?

 

GOSPEL REFLECTION

The Gospel for today is from St. Mark.4:26-34.  Jesus in this Gospel tells the crowds and the disciples ( and us) what the Kingdom of God is like.  He uses parables to teach the crowd so that they could understand.  He explained to the disciples what the parables meant when they were alone.  So what about us?  What is the kingdom of God like?  Do we spend time with Jesus so that He can explain to us what we need to know and so that we can understand too.?

The parable of the seed is one of encouragement.  We may sow a seed of interest in the faith but the seed will be ready for harvest at just the right time.  Not necessarily the right time for us but for the right time for the person in whom the seed  was sown.  In other words, we may not see the harvest ourselves of what we have sown in this life but this should not stop us from cooperating with God and sowing seeds of the gifts of the Spirit to all we come in contact. Even a smile to a stranger passing in the street can sow a seed. It may lift that person’s spirit and with that lift may encourage that person to do something for another person too.  It is the ripple effect.

The other aspect of the mustard seed that I find encouraging is that the seed started out as the smallest seed and yet grew to the biggest shrub of all so that the birds could shelter in its branches. Our own little offerings of each day of our daily tasks may seem insignificant but faithfully and cheerfully done will help our tiny seed grow. We too are like the mustard see that has huge potential for growth.  Sadly many people do not want to grow- to change. In fact the stats show that 90% of the population are working at 25% of their capacity/their potential.  What would the world be like if even half the population worked at 50% of their capacity?  However, why not work at 100% of your capacity even if you think your contribution is as small as the mustard seed.

This week’s Gospel challenges us to reflect on What the Kingdom of God is like in these 2 parables.  We do not need to come up with our own images of what the Kingdom of God might be like.  Jesus tells us in this parable.  We need to reflect on what this parable means for my life and to take proactive steps to encourage the seed that God Himself has given each one of us.  Remember the seed will come into harvest at just the right time. God’s timing is always perfect.

What seeds will you sow this coming week with God’s grace?