top of page

St. Elizabeth Seton Virtual Parish

Home Page
Breaking Open Word
Daily Reflections
Sunday's Go and Grow
Sunday Reflections
Pray Request
More...

Use tab to navigate through the menu items.

Daily Reflection

White Lillies

October 26

White Lillies

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus presents two brief but extremely well-known parables – the parable of the mustard seed and the parable of the yeast. Both help us understand the Kingdom of God. Both show us how in the divine economy, God can turn seemingly small things into big things. In fact, sometimes small things can transform the world.

In the parable of the mustard seed, Jesus asks “what is the Kingdom of God like? To what can I compare it”? He uses the example of a small mustard seed. Though tiny, it grows into a large bush, providing shelter for the birds. Like the tiny mustard seed, the Kingdom of God starts small. Coming from just a small community – Jesus and his disciples – and preached to a relatively small and seemingly unimportant part of society at that time. But any historian can describe the explosive growth of Christianity. First with the fledgling churches in the first few centuries, but eventually through the entire Roman Empire. The description of the mustard seed turning into the large bush is of course a description of the Church. The image of the birds finding shelter is an analogy for believers in God’s plan of salvation, who through the centuries have found shelter in the Church through many hardships. The analogy also extends of course, to human actions in Christ. Charity, forgiveness, care for the poor can and often have had powerful echoes through history. The lives of the Saints are of course particularly good examples. How many today are inspired to serve the poor by looking at the lives of St. Francis of Assisi or St. Theresa of Calcutta? God can take any of our good acts and transforms and elevate them to his much higher purposes – many of which we never see but nonetheless ripple through humanity like a stone on a still pond.

Jesus next compares the Kingdom to yeast that a woman mixes into flour until the entire batch is leavened. Unlike the mustard seed, whose growth is visible, yeast works quietly from within, gradually transforming the dough into bread that it will become. This reveals how the Kingdom of God transforms us from within. It does not always happen through big events – it's often the small changes in our lives that transform us into children of God.

This is what grace does – it transforms and elevates us from within. As we cooperate with God’s grace, our lives can influence others, bringing God’s love to places (often unexpected) where it is needed.
Question for reflection: How can I better cooperate with God’s grace so that like the mustard seed or the yeast, I can be transformed into what God intends for me?

October 27

White Lillies

October 28

White Lillies

October 29

White Lillies

October 30

White Lillies

October 31

© Copyright 2026 St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church. All rights reserved.

bottom of page