No Time to be Complacent

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

19 July 2026

 

First Reading: Wisdom 12:13, 16-19

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 86:5-6, 9-10, 15-16

Second Reading: Romans 8:26-27

Gospel: Matthew 13:24-43

 

Reflection

By: Pietro S. Albano

 

Franz Jägerstätter was an Austrian farmer, husband, and father who was beheaded for refusing to serve in the Nazi Army. Commenting on today’s Gospel, he wrote, “If God were to take away the persecutors, there would no longer be martyrs. If God were to remove all struggles from our lives, we would no longer receive the crown of glory.” Indeed, we often discover that God draws a straight line from what seems crooked in the world. Think of the various forms of persecution that Christians such as Franz, Lorenzo Ruiz, Pedro Calungsod, and others down the ages have encountered. These have become avenues for the Word of God to thrive in peoples’ hearts. As Tertullian’s famous saying goes, “The blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church”.

Living our faith is not easy. The good seed that Jesus sows in the world are constantly challenged by the weeds sown by the devil. Sometimes, we tend to be complacent, especially if we live where practicing our faith is allowed. Imagine living somewhere else where there are few churchgoers or where persecution is staring in front of you. It made me think: Will I let my faith shine through or hide it under a bowl (Mt 5:15)?

Living in Europe for many years made me realize how valuable my faith is. Unlike the churches in the Philippines were there are lots of priests and Sunday Masses and churches are full, here it’s the opposite. I recall Msgr Nestor Cerbo’s prayer when he hosted a farewell party for me: to be a missionary. By God’s grace, I carry on that role in my own small way in our parish.

Today’s Gospel constantly challenges us to remain vigilant and persevering so we can be like the good soil that became fruitful (Mt 13:1-23). We may falter along the journey, but that should not make us disheartened because “the Spirit helps us in our weakness” (Rm 8:26).  

 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, show Your strength in our moments of doubt. Fill us with good hope that we may consistently follow Your Son who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. In His Name, we pray. Amen.

Where Does My Heart Find Rest?

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

03 August 2025

 

First Reading: Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 and 17

Second Reading: Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11

Gospel: Luke 12:13-21

 

Reflection By:

Bro. Carlo Alexis Malaluan

Diocese of Imus

 

You’ve probably heard the old tale of King Midas—the man who wished that everything he touched would turn to gold. At first, it seemed like a dream come true. His palace sparkled, his wealth grew, and his fame spread. But that golden touch soon turned into a curse. The food he tried to eat turned to metal. Even his beloved daughter, when she ran into his arms, became a lifeless statue of gold. In the end, what he thought was a blessing revealed the tragic emptiness of having everything… except what truly matters.

The Gospel this Sunday tells a story not far from Midas’—a man blessed with an abundant harvest, so much, that his barns couldn’t contain it all. Like Midas, he thought to himself, “Now I can rest. I’ve made it. Soul, eat, drink, be merry.” He believed he had finally arrived at peace, that his heart could finally settle down.

But God calls him fool. “This very night your life will be demanded of you. And the things you have prepared—whose will they be?”

It’s easy to say we are not materialistic. Easy to claim we are not enslaved by money or the things that glitter in this world. But if we take an honest look at our daily lives—our thoughts before going to sleep, our worries upon waking, our plans, our fears—don’t they often reveal where our hearts truly rest?

The problem of the rich man isn’t his success, his hard work, or his good harvest. His downfall is his misplaced security. He thought his soul could find rest in what he owned, rather than in the One who gave it all. And so his heart, like Midas’, was trapped—not in poverty, but in the illusion of wealth.

Today’s Gospel asks us a quiet but piercing question: Where does my heart find rest? What kind of treasure do I hold closest to my chest? Is it something that can be taken away in a moment, or is it something eternal?

Isn’t that the same subtle temptation we face today? We often equate the rest of the heart with what we can accumulate—money, achievements, possessions, even relationships that offer us comfort. But even when we have them all, we remain restless. There’s always the fear of losing them. Always the anxiety of what’s next.

The Gospel challenges us to ask: What kind of treasure does my heart truly value? For the heart, as St. Augustine once said, is restless until it rests in God. True wealth cannot be measured by quantity, but by depth—the depth of our relationship with God, the depth of our love, the depth of our giving and belonging.

When the heart finds rest in the treasure of God, it becomes at peace even in scarcity. When the heart rests in authentic love, it feels whole even amid imperfections. When the heart rests in God’s will, it finds a peace the world cannot buy. When our hearts rest in God, there is peace—even when we don’t have everything figured out. When our hearts rest in love, there is fullness—even when life is not perfect. And when our hearts rest in doing the will of the Father, there is joy—even in the midst of uncertainty.

So today, perhaps we’re being invited to look at our own “golden touches”—those things we think will bring us peace, control, or contentment. Are they really feeding the soul, or are they turning what’s most human in us into something hollow? Where does my heart truly find rest? In God, or in things that fade away?

And if we realize we've been learning on fragile foundations, we need not be afraid to return. God is always waiting. Because His heart is the true home of our own. Because His heart is where ours was meant to rest all along.

Prayer

The Good Harvest

    

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

23 July 2023

 

First Reading: Wis 12:13, 16-19

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 86:5-6, 9-10, 15-16

Second Reading: Rom 8:26-27

Gospel: Mt 13:24-43

 

Reflection

By: Ma. Rosalina S. Flores

 

Last Sunday's Gospel talked about the different kinds of soil to where the seeds fell as the sower went out to sow, putting emphasis on the rich soil that bears a hundredfold. Today, Jesus again proposed another parable, and this time it is about the kinds of harvest to which good seeds definitely produce good harvests.

We often hear the saying "Kapag may itinanim, may aanihin" (When something is planted, something is reaped)". But it is not enough that we reaped something, we should aim to have good harvests. Try to ask the farmers and you will know that they plant the good seeds, put up water irrigation, use pesticides as needed ensuring to have a good yield in the harvest season. Their work does not end in planting, instead, they exert constant effort to have a good reap.

Today, the Church celebrates the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly. It is the third year of the celebration since Pope Francis established it in January 2021 that the fourth Sunday of July of each year be dedicated to our grandparents and the elderly as it is near the liturgical memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus. Our Gospel reading today also fits the celebration as our elders are one of the examples of good harvests. They have aged healthily, blessed with wisdom, and competed well in their life's journey here on earth.

Just like our elders and farmers, may we double our hard work to become good harvests at the judgment day. Remember that Our Lord has made us good from the time we are conceived and continued to cultivate us to become good with His sacraments and teachings hoping that although the enemy plants weeds in the night, may we still emerge as good yield at the harvest time. This we can do, when we constantly seek Jesus in our life and reconcile with Him when commiting sin, knowing that He is good and forgiving.

Prayer

Lord, help us to become good harvests. Surely, we will experience many downfalls on the road, but help us to get back on track comforted with Your mercy and unconditional love for us. This we ask in Jesus' Name, Amen.

First Hand

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

18 June 2023

 

First Reading: Ex 19:2-6a

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 100:1-2, 3, 5

Second Reading: Rom 5:6-11

Gospel: Mt 9:36-10:8

 

Reflection

By: Grace B. Madrinan

 

"The harvest is abundant but the labourers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out labourers for his harvest." - Matthew 9:37

I'm a shy person in real life. Well, some would disagree because I can be the loudest when I am with my closest friends. But generally, I am not the type of person who would be part of the ushers or greeters ministry.

But I did become part of the greeters ministry when I joined the Feast, a Catholic Charismatic community of the Light of Jesus family founded by Bro. Bo Sanchez, for reasons too long to discuss here. Not only that, I became the head of the ministry and later on led the Singles Ministry. Yes, so much for the shy person that I am, I took more than I can chew. It was a challenge, but also gave me a peak on how God operates.

The Gospel today talks about how Jesus commissioned the apostles to multiply His work and reach. Jesus is God, all powerful, and yet He still needed His apostles to do the work. Why? Well, since Jesus was in the form of a man, He still needs manpower like everyone else. And I believe, moreso, to make the apostles witness the miracles and see the glory of God first hand.

And I believe Jesus commissioned us too. Maybe not as grand as the apostles did before us, but every act is well accounted for and appreciated by God. When I was a servant in our community, I witnessed God's hand at work when He led us to reach out to complete strangers who happen to be in deep need of His message. I also watched how God transformed people from an angry person to a Godly man. We saw healing, new friendships and lasting relationships, all because we heed to Christ's calling.

But whether we are serving in our own Parish or community or not, we can be a labourer for God. We can continue to be a good Christian example for our family and friends. Be compassionate and considerate of those who work hard especially in the service industry, give a warm smliel, appreciate more or even strike a conversation if you must, just to ask them how they were. You never know how that single act of kindness can extend our faith.

Prayer

Father God, thank You for allowing us to work with Jesus in His ministry, though frail and sinful as we are. May we be able to extend His hand to those whom You want us to reach through our service and compassion for the needy. Amen.

Generosity and Love, not Greed

   

  Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

31 July 2022 

 

First Reading: Ecc 1:2, 2:21-23

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 and 17

Second Reading: Col 3:1-5, 9-11

Gospel: Lk 12:13-21

 

Reflection

By: Benj Santiago

 

"Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” ‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?'

Being poor is difficult. To be rich is also difficult. And we all know that the love of money is the root of all evil. It is also true that money cannot buy us happiness. But it is equally true that we need money to buy the things we need. So, there must be a balance in our pursuit of wealth. The Gospel reading clearly tells us that the accumulation of possessions or wealth must not be anchored on GREED! 

As a financial mentor, I was mentored by Bro. Bo Sanchez. And the basic guide I put into practice is the “Prosperity Formula” or the “Abundance Formula” that guides us to give; at least 10% of what we earn, back to God through our Tithes.  To give back to our Church or charities at least 10% of what the Lord blesses us with. That we strive to earn more so we can give more. In our team, the Truly Rich Makers Team, we collectively support the Annual Feast Conference as a MAJOR SPONSOR. It is our collective way of giving back to the ministries supported by Bro. Bo. We continue to encourage many families to accumulate wealth not for greed but to be able to be more generous in giving. For we believe that the ultimate purpose of accumulating wealth is to use it for LOVE!

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for enlightening us to guard against greed in our pursuit of accumulating wealth. We pray that all those who are blessed to have will be inspired to share to those who have not. This we pray in Jesus' Name, Amen.

The Harvest

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 07 July 2019
First reading Isaiah 66:10-14

Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her;
rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her,
that you may nurse and be satisfied from her consoling breast;
that you may drink deeply with delight from her glorious bosom.

For thus says the Lord: I will extend prosperity to her like river,
and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream;
and you shall nurse and be carried on her arm,
and dandled on her knees.

As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you;
you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice;
your bodies shall flourish like the grass;
and it shall be known that the hand of the Lord is with his servants,
and his indignation is against his enemies.

Second reading                                                          Galatians 6:14-18

May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything!

As for those who will follow this rule – peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. From now on, let nobody make trouble for me; for I carry the marks of Jesus branded on my body.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

Gospel                                                                         Luke 10:1-12, 17-20

The Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet nobody on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’ And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the labourer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.'”

But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.’ And I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.

The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!” He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Reflection

By Jose Paulo M. Gonzales

Is it not worth celebrating how plentiful the Lord’s harvest is? However, is it not regrettable how only few are willing to work for it? Perhaps the reason why only few are willing to work for such a bounty is because it may be difficult to grasp how great a gift the Lord’s harvest is. What does this harvest mean by the way?

In its simplest form, the Lord’s harvest can be likened to the things we see every day. We have food on the table, roof on our heads, parents who love us and work hard to send us to school, friends to go with us in our day-to-day tasks, money to pay our daily expenses, cell phones and the internet to make connecting with family and friends easier, and many other things.

These blessings help us realize how great a provider God is. However, the harvest of God stretches far beyond our experience here on earth. Ultimately, God’s harvest is eternal life in Christ. In Biblical terms, it is the Kingdom of God.

It takes many parables to explain the Kingdom of God. Jesus used seven (six in Matthew 13 and one in Mark 4), but the overarching truth is that it is both here in the now, and it is yet to come.

We uphold the Kingdom of God as we live for Christ here on earth as His Church, anticipating our lives in heaven as we live heaven here on earth, all with our heavenly virtues, but we are yet to realize its fullness–the ultimate prize when we enter eternity with Him.

With such an eternal reward, it is not surprising why God alerts us to those that may try to tear us away from our heavenly prize. In the Gospel for today, we are alerted to wolves. Applied broadly, wolves can be anything from events to people who make it difficult to spread the message of God’s harvest.

Internally, there may be hesitation to spread God’s Word when others look more fit and qualified to evangelize. Externally, before we leave our home, there may be many chores that render us helpless in thinking it is impossible to squeeze into our daily schedules our proclamation of God’s harvest.

Before we make it outside the driveway, our car may have already broken down. In our commutes, the vehicle we ride on may encounter problems of different sorts.

Other people can also hinder in spreading God’s Word. In the Gospel, some might not welcome us when they recognize the Word we are to share. To those who would welcome us, however, “The Kingdom of God is very near to you” (Luke 10:9).

To the unwelcoming, God told whom He sent to simply shake the dust off their feet and proceed. To us, this means not to take rejection personally and proceed with our proclamation, so we don’t fall into the sin of harboring anger and being unforgiving.

It is not always the case that people reject God’s Word out rightly. Sometimes, people suffer different blows in life that make it heavy a task to receive the message at present.

To these brothers and sisters, also to us, God’s goodness and mercy stand available, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” (Hebrews 4:15).

In consolation, in our revelation of the Word, rejection is nothing new, even to our brethren in the olden days: to the prophets and the disciples, and even to Jesus Christ.

As we proclaim God’s Word, what drives us aside from God’s grace, first and foremost, is our realization of how incredible the eternal prize of God’s harvest is. Even if we do not understand in full the breadth and depth of this harvest as the Lord’s mysteries transcend the transitory, when we relay to others how great this reward is, the beauty of our wonder already stands as an authentic witness. People are interested in hearing sincere testimonies.

“In this world you will have trouble”, God said. “But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33).

Truly, when we proclaim God’s Word, some events and people may bring impediments. But in our perseverance, there is God’s grace: even the devils submitted to the disciples at the mention of Jesus’ Name (Luke 10:17).

Surely, there are victories in God to celebrate here on earth. And God reminds us not to lose sight of the eternal, because a bigger cause for rejoicing is at hand: Our names are written in Heaven (Luke 10:20).

Prayer

Lord God, gracious Giver of the bountiful harvest, thank You for Your message today. Thank You very much for the ultimate harvest–eternal life. Though undeserving sheep we are, You still give unsparingly.

Please never exhaust in Your mercy to accept us as we repent, at even the slightest sign of remorse.

Please grant us the grace to see the tremendous value in Your harvest, so we are innately motivated to pursue its revelation to others, especially when motivations from outside—from events or people—are difficult to come by.

Please open the hearts, minds, and spirits of whom we are to share Your Word, so they accept and live It fully, and that in their jubilation, they share Your Word with others, too.

When it is difficult to spread Your Word, please grant us the patience not to give up. Please also send people to help and inspire us on the way. Please let the sight of their—and even our—reconciliation with You be a good motivator for us to continue sharing Your Word.

For those who find it difficult to accept Your message now because of a rough patch in life, please grant us the grace to be patient with them, the understanding to heed their wounds, and the love for them so we deal with them with utmost gentleness and care. Please enable in us hearts that respect their pace of healing, so that we do not worsen their pain.

May You come to the hurting so that they heal once and for all, so that they can live the life You want them to live.

Thank You, Father, and may You be glorified forever, In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Journeying With Weed

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time July 20

First reading Wisdom 12:13,16-19

There is no god, other than you, who cares for every thing,

to whom you might have to prove that you never judged unjustly;

Your justice has its source in strength,

your sovereignty over all makes you lenient to all.

You show your strength when your sovereign power is questioned

and you expose the insolence of those who know it;

but, disposing of such strength, you are mild in judgement,

you govern us with great lenience,

for you have only to will, and your power is there.

By acting thus you have taught a lesson to your people

how the virtuous man must be kindly to his fellow men,

and you have given your sons the good hope

that after sin you will grant repentance.

Psalm                                                                          Psalm 85:5-6,9-10,15-16

Second reading                                                      Romans 8:26-27

The Spirit comes to help us in our weakness. For when we cannot choose words in order to
pray properly, the Spirit himself expresses our plea in a way that could never be put into words,
and God who knows everything in our hearts knows perfectly well what he means, and that the
pleas of the saints expressed by the Spirit are according to the mind of God.

Gospel                                                                     Matthew 13:24-30

Jesus put another parable before the crowds, ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everybody was asleep his enemy came, sowed darnel all among the wheat, and made off. When the new wheat sprouted and ripened, the darnel appeared as well. The owner’s servants went to him and said, “Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed in your field? If so, where does the darnel come from?” “Some enemy has done this” he answered. And the servants said, “Do you want us to go and weed it out?” But he said, “No, because when you weed out the darnel you might pull up the wheat with it. Let them both grow till the harvest; and at harvest time I shall say to the reapers: First collect the darnel and tie it in bundles to be burnt, then gather the wheat into my barn.”’

Reflection by Fidji Rivera-Sarmiento

And no! Not that weed! Kayo ha! The kind of weed that was in today’s Gospel. Jesus talked about the “enemy” sowing weed on the wheat field.

Personally, I believe that the Lord is maybe trying to explain the necessity of difficult people in our lives. Or why we also become so difficult to others, as well as to ourselves! Most of the time, my greatest hindrance is me! We all are the weeds at one point or another.

“His slaves said to him,

‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?

He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds

you might uproot the wheat along with them. 

Let them grow together until harvest.”

Jesus continue parable-ing by saying that in the end, main sower will separate the wheat from the weeds.

“…Then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters,

“First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning;

but gather the wheat into my barn.””

Can this be the symbolism of heaven and hell? Probably. Only God knows. The question now is, do we actually do good because we want to go to heaven? Definitely. Do we want eternal life with Jesus? Amen to that! But do we want to be virtuous SOLELY because of this? Of course not. We try to be upright each day as our way of thanksgiving to our Creator. We try to be kind to one another because we empathize and sympathize with our co-pilgrims in this earthly journey. We are not in a life triathlon. Life is not a race. Hindi contest ang buhay. We all are travellers with baggages, and yes, with some extra luggage, along the way. We become difficult to one another because of exhaustion, of hopelessness, of resentment. I continue to believe that we cannot be the best wheat for harvest unless we learn to live with the weeds in our midst and even inside our hearts.

So in trying times, may we not forget to look up to our compassionate Farmer and ask His help. You can survive it all! It could be your difficult family, your boss, your study partner, your next door neighbour, your colleague, or YOURSELF. Let’s trust the plan God has laid down for us. Let us trust the process. We are all predestined to be with our Creator. But the journey towards that is what living and being human is all about.

Prayer

Dear God,

I trust in You.  I trust Your plan. I trust your will. I trust that You have a purpose for this challenging person I’m praying for at this moment. I trust You and Your holy objective why You placed me in this situation. I pray for spiritual strength to carry on. Teach me to enjoy this life and to take every step with courage. Hold my hand in this pilgrimage, Lord. I face anything because I know You are with me.  Amen.

Small Seeds...Bountiful Harvest!

“ Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.”

- Saint Augustine

First Reading: Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4

O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and thou wilt not hear? Or cry to thee "Violence!" and thou wilt not save? Why dost thou make me see wrongs and look upon trouble? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise.

Psalm: Psalm 95:1-2, 6-9

Second Reading: 2 Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14

Hence I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self-control. Do not be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel in the power of God, Follow the pattern of the sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus; guard the truth that has been entrusted to you by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.

Gospel: Luke 17:5-10

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" And the Lord said, "If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamine tree, `Be rooted up, and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. "Will any one of you, who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep, say to him when he has come in from the field, `Come at once and sit down at table'? Will he not rather say to him, `Prepare supper for me, and gird yourself and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterward you shall eat and drink'? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, `We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.'"

Reflection
By Gharri Tulabut

Fans like me have just witnessed dreams fulfilled in the recently concluded talent show The Voice of the Philippines. I have been following that show since the blind auditions. And every week, the showcase of talent is really something I do not regret spending my time with.

In that program the artists are grouped into four teams headed by a coach. But there is another division in there that we don’t really care about. In fact, I only noticed it because it is something I can relate with our Gospel topic for this Sunday.

What I am talking about is that in every episode, we see the aspiring singers on one side, which is the stage, and the coaches on the other side. While some of the contestants are already professionals in their field, still we cannot deny the fact that they are nothing (yet) compared to what the four people on the other side have already accomplished. These four coaches are superstars, big names in the industry.

But we know that these coaches did not reach their status overnight. They were once like these contestants trying their best to become somebody someday. And mere talent did not put them where they are right now. It took them years to perfect their craft through hard work and determination.

Same is true with many successful individuals. May they be people in sports, showbiz, employment, business, or in any other fields.

Often times, we admire these people. And we want to be like them. But the problem is we want to be like them at an instant. We want Manny Pacquiao’s wealth and popularity without receiving the same punches every bout. Not to mention his gruesome training. We want to be a LeBron James without being a reserve first. We want to be a Gary V., yet we haven’t even joined single amateur singing contest.

Even at work, sometimes we hate our bosses because we feel that we can do just as much as they can, yet they earn ten times our salaries. They earned it through years of hard work.

Good news is they all started small. Like all of us did.

We just have to keep on planting those small seeds every day. Even if it seems like nothing is happening, let us just keep on planting the right things. Keep on improving our skills. Keep on practicing. Keep on doing good to our customers and subordinates. Keep on improving those relationships that seem impossible to heal. Keep on investing a little of your income every month.

And one day we will harvest big.

Same is true with our faith.

Don’t be discouraged that you do not know much about your faith right now.  
Don’t be discouraged that you cannot even defend your faith because your faith is still very small.
Don’t worry if you think you have very little talent to contribute to your parish or community.
Don’t worry that you have very little treasure to share.
Don’t worry that you barely have time to serve.

Put all these little things together, every day, non-stop. Plant all those small mustard seeds of yours everyday even if it seems like nothing is happening.

You’ll be surprised that one day, you can already deliver a talk in your community. One day, you’ll give even more than 10% of your income to God’s works on earth. One day, you will discover or improve your talents and you’ll be a very important contributor in Church. One day, you’ll have all the time in the world to serve.

But do not wait until all these are with you before you serve. Do it now. With whatever little you have. Let’s start small. But let’s dream Big. Work Hard. Plant everyday.

And one day harvest will come.

Big!

Prayer

Father, we thank you for the little mustard seed of faith that You have placed in our hearts. May we be able to plant these seeds every day and every day and every day until the time You give us a bountiful harvest. Amen!