Reading of the Word of God

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

This is the Gospel of the poor,
liberation for the imprisoned,
sight for the blind,
freedom for the oppressed.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Mark 4,26-34

He also said, 'This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the land. Night and day, while he sleeps, when he is awake, the seed is sprouting and growing; how, he does not know. Of its own accord the land produces first the shoot, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the crop is ready, at once he starts to reap because the harvest has come.' He also said, 'What can we say that the kingdom is like? What parable can we find for it? It is like a mustard seed which, at the time of its sowing, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth. Yet once it is sown it grows into the biggest shrub of them all and puts out big branches so that the birds of the air can shelter in its shade.' Using many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, so far as they were capable of understanding it. He would not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything to his disciples when they were by themselves.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

The Son of Man came to serve,
whoever wants to be great
should become servant of all.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Mark is the only one who reports this parable that compares the kingdom to a seed that grows spontaneously. With it the evangelist wants to remind the coming close of the kingdom of God and he considers the time that passes between sowing and the harvest. It is the image of the Word of God that once has been sowed it has its own strength that does not depend on us. For indeed, every time the Gospel is communicated and reaches the heart, sooner or later it bears fruit. On the other hand even the prophet Isaiah said: "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, ... so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it" (Is 55:10-11). The strength of the Gospel does not follow our human measures. The Word of God is like a seed, even the smallest of the seeds. With the second parable Jesus insists on the "weakness" of the Gospel compared to mundane powers. Indeed, what is there that is smaller and weaker than the small book of the gospel? It is only a word; it may be disregarded, forgotten, removed, and even mocked. And yet it is a very precious treasure. Rather it is the only true treasure that the disciples have, the only true strength able to change people's hearts radically. If the Gospel is welcomed in the heart and cared with attention it will deliver an incredible force of change. It changes the heart of those who listen to it and extends its influx well beyond: "It puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade."