Coffee With God

Reflection: Matthew 13:31-35

Yesterday the Church observed the Day of Prayer for Grandparents and elderly. St. Joachim and St. Anne, grandparents of Jesus were venerated as the patrons saints of the grandparents. Today the Church celebrates the memoria of St. Joachim and St. Anne. The story of Joachim and Anne do not appear in the Bible, but in a book called the Protoevangelium of St. James, completed around the year 170. It gives insight into the life of Mary, Mother of Jesus and her parents. Today let us continue to pray for our grandparents and the elderly. The parable of the mustard seed, reflected the irrepressible hope of Jesus in the future despite an unpromising present. Mathew wants to remind his Community that although the present state of the community might be unimpressive, like a tiny little grain, its future would be wonderful. The story sounds a bit strange because Jesus speaks of the mustard plant that grows into a tree so that the birds of the sky would dwell in its branches! It is indeed strange to find such a huge mustard plant! The birds of the sky in the bible referred to the pagans. Now Jesus is making a promise of an apparent impossibility: that the people of the pagan lands would come to this great tree of faith and will find their refuge in it. The second parable about Three measures of flour is equivalent to fifteen-litre – It was clearly an extravagant amount: it would have made enough bread to feed more than a hundred hungry people. The phrase three measures of flour has an exact reference to the Old Testament. When Abraham was visited by his Three Visitors, Abraham instructed his wife Sarah, to mix three measures of flour (along with a whole calf!) to feed his three visitors: The three visitors foretold again an apparent impossibility – that Sarah would soon be pregnant and they will have their child: Isaac, The image of the three measures clearly spoke of two important messages: First: There is nothing impossible for God. He calls the insignificant and chooses the improbable circumstances to establish his Kingdom and his Church Second: He showers his blessings without measures – John speaks of miracles of abundance – six jars of wine to a family where they were celebrating a marriage; 12 baskets of bread left-over after feeding over five thousand people; super-catch of fish by the disciples who toiled without catching any all night and here the three measures of flour for baking – ours is a God who gives his blessings in abundance and extravagance!