Kingdom of Heaven – Reflection on Matthew 13:31-35
I used to think my family consisted of my wife, children, brother and sisters, relatives, and in-laws. As I began to have faith have more importance, I thought I understood that my family further rippled out to church friends, colleagues, and those I knew in heaven. In the last two decades, primarily because of prayer, my family extends beyond this circle as I explore and join Christ in community with others, including those in the veiled mystery of the kingdom of heaven. When you unconditionally receive and offer yourself as needed to all, you are One in the unity of the body of Christ. We can all outwardly share Jesus’s inner gift of peace, spiritual food, and love.
Jesus Teaches the People by the Sea by James Tissot (full resolution painting).
More details are available on the Brooklyn Museum website.
Additional Ordinary Time Reflections
Matthew 13:31-35 – Scripture*
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
31 He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; 32 it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
The Parable of the Yeast
33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”
The Use of Parables
34 Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables; without a parable he told them nothing. 35 This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet:
“I will open my mouth to speak in parables;
I will proclaim what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.”
Additional Thoughts
Thank you for meditating on this Gospel and reading this Lectio Divina on Matthew 13:31-35 Reflection – Kingdom of Heaven.
Would you like to contribute related thoughts to these Lectio reflections on the Gospel readings? Since Lectio is not the only contemplative prayer style, others might appreciate these types of expressions in this ministry. Do you see God’s grandeur everywhere and unconditionally enjoy sharing the love of Christ that you have inside? Are you willing to be anonymous in what you would share? If so, email me.
Prayer for young families:
Lord, let the young families of our communities get to know your joy, peace, comfort, and love despite worldly distractions.
Attributions
*This site has permission to use the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) Bible Matthew 13 passage.
The Immersive Prayer website follows the guidelines for image web use at the Brooklyn Museum and the Jewish Museum websites.
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