💖 HOMILY - JULY 28 💖

First Reading - Exodus 32:15-24,30-34

Gospel - Matthew 13:31-35

The mystery of God’s kingdom is often revealed in small beginnings and quiet persistence. But today’s readings also remind us of another mystery: the astonishing patience of God in the face of human weakness. Together, these readings reveal a God who works through both mercy and mystery — slowly, patiently, and powerfully.

In the first reading, we return to a dramatic moment in Israel’s story. Moses descends the mountain with the stone tablets, only to find the people worshipping a golden calf. This betrayal is not small — it is a direct violation of the covenant they had just entered into with God. Moses is heartbroken. He confronts Aaron, and the next day he offers himself before God in a bold act of intercession: “If you would only forgive their sin! But if not, blot me out of the book you have written.” Moses is ready to lay down his own life for the sake of the people — a foreshadowing of the perfect intercession Christ would one day make for all humanity.

But what is truly astonishing is God’s response. Though justice is due, God chooses mercy. He does not abandon His people. He continues the journey with them. The covenant is not destroyed, but renewed. We learn here that God is not only just — He is faithfully patient. Even when His people fall, He does not let go.

The Gospel offers a contrast in tone, but a deep complement in meaning. Jesus speaks of the kingdom of heaven using two small images: a mustard seed and a bit of yeast. Both are hidden, both are unimpressive in appearance — and yet both contain incredible transformative power. The mustard seed grows into a great tree; the yeast leavens the whole batch of dough.

Jesus is teaching us something crucial: God’s work often begins in obscurity, in hiddenness, in what seems insignificant. Whether it is a small act of repentance, a whispered prayer, a word of kindness, or a flicker of faith — God uses these to grow something far greater than we can imagine. The kingdom grows quietly, but it grows surely.

So what do these readings say to us today?

They tell us that God is not discouraged by our failures, nor is He impatient with our slowness. Like the mustard seed, growth in holiness and discipleship takes time. Like the yeast, transformation often works beneath the surface. And like Moses, we are called to stand in solidarity with others, praying and laboring for their restoration, not their rejection.

They also invite us to trust — trust that God sees what is small and honors what is hidden. Even when the world seems to be filled with idols and injustice, the kingdom is still growing, quietly but persistently, in the hearts of the faithful.

Dear friends, do not underestimate what God can do with your small acts of love and fidelity. Do not despair when things seem broken. The same God who forgave the idolaters in the desert is the God who plants seeds of grace in our lives today. And He will bring them to full fruit — not with haste, but with hope.

May we live with the patience of farmers, the trust of intercessors, and the faith of those who know that God is always at work — even when we cannot see it.