First reading Ephesians 5:21-33
Give way to one another in obedience to Christ
Give way to one another in obedience to Christ. Wives should regard their husbands as they regard the Lord, since as Christ is head of the Church and saves the whole body, so is a husband the head of his wife; and as the Church submits to Christ, so should wives to their husbands, in everything. Husbands should love their wives just as Christ loved the Church and sacrificed himself for her to make her holy. He made her clean by washing her in water with a form of words, so that when he took her to himself she would be glorious, with no speck or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and faultless. In the same way, husbands must love their wives as they love their own bodies; for a man to love his wife is for him to love himself. A man never hates his own body, but he feeds it and looks after it; and that is the way Christ treats the Church, because it is his body – and we are its living parts. For this reason, a man must leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one body. This mystery has many implications; but I am saying it applies to Christ and the Church. To sum up; you too, each one of you, must love his wife as he loves himself; and let every wife respect her husband.
Responsorial Psalm 127(128):1-5
O blessed are those who fear the Lord.
O blessed are those who fear the Lord
and walk in his ways!
By the labour of your hands you shall eat.
You will be happy and prosper.
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
in the heart of your house;
your children like shoots of the olive,
around your table.
Indeed thus shall be blessed
the man who fears the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Zion
all the days of your life!
Gospel Luke 13:18-21
The kingdom of God is like the yeast that leavened three measures of flour
Jesus said, ‘What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it with? It is like a mustard seed which a man took and threw into his garden: it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air sheltered in its branches.’
Another thing he said, ‘What shall I compare the kingdom of God with? It is like the yeast a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour till it was leavened all through.’
Small Acts, Growing God’s Kingdom
In today’s Gospel, Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a tiny mustard seed that grows into a large tree and to yeast that a woman mixes into flour until the whole batch rises. Both begin small and almost unnoticed, yet they gradually bring about growth and transformation.
What do these parables teach us? God often uses small and ordinary things to build His Kingdom of love. He desires to work through our simple lives and daily actions. In our families, workplaces, schools, parishes, friendships, and online interactions, we are called to be His instruments through small acts of kindness, patience, forgiveness, faithfulness, and service. Our Christian way of life should positively influence those around us. In a world often shaped by selfishness, materialism, and the pursuit of pleasure, our love, compassion, reconciliation, and faith can offer a different way of living. Like the mustard seed and the yeast, even our smallest acts of goodness can quietly transform lives and help God’s Kingdom grow.
Reflective question:
What small act of love and kindness can I offer today to help God’s Kingdom grow?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD
