From Small Beginnings

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Augustine, First Archbishop of Canterbury, 605 - Memorial

Today's Readings:
[ 2 Cor 10:7-18; Ps 66:1-8; Mt 13:31-33 ]

Despite the common Biblical symbolism, the Kingdom of God more often does not arrive with trumpets.

Jesus tells us today that the Kingdom is like a mustard seed: “the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs”. Or like yeast, hidden quietly in flour until everything is transformed. The work of God often begins invisibly, humbly, and without spectacle.

That fits well with today’s memorial of Augustine, First Archbishop of Canterbury.

When Augustine arrived in England in the sixth century, sent by Pope Gregory the Great, he did not come to a flourishing Christian land ready to receive him. He entered uncertainty. His mission was fragile. By worldly standards, it may have looked impossibly small—a few monks carrying the Gospel into unfamiliar territory. And yet, like yeast in dough, the witness of faith slowly spread.

St. Paul reminds us in today’s reading that authentic ministry is never about self-importance: “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord”. Augustine’s success was not his own achievement, nor ours when we bear fruit in faith. Growth belongs to God.

Franciscan spirituality speaks often of littleness—of choosing humility, patience, and trust over worldly power. St. Francis knew that God delights in working through what seems weak or insignificant. A small act of mercy, a quiet prayer, a faithful witness offered without fanfare—these may become shelter for others, like birds nesting in the branches of Christ’s kingdom.

Today, perhaps we are invited to stop despising small beginnings.

God is already at work in hidden places: in our homes, our churches, our wearied hearts, and in every unnoticed act of love. The mustard seed grows even when we cannot yet see the tree.

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