Sunday Micro Retreat – June 16, 2024
As you begin your time of reflection, try to realize that you are standing on holy ground and in the presence of God, who wants to talk to you and listen to you.
Make the Sign of the Cross. The Holy Spirit is opening your heart and mind so the Word of God that you are about to read can flourish in you for God's glory. Pray that you continue to work with his grace. Let the words or your prayer flow from your mind through your heart. Try to "feel" what you are saying.
Is there anything you would like to ask God now? What graces does your heart desire?
Talk to God about it.
Now read the Sunday's Gospel:
Such a large crowd gathered around Jesus that he got into a boat and began to teach them using many parables.
Jesus said: “The kingdom of God is as if a man would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, without his knowing how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
Jesus also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
With many such parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples. (Mark 4.26-34)
The Word of God touches everyone differently. If there is anything that really stood out for you in this reading, meditate on it. Go to the depths of your heart and listen to what God is trying to say to you.
Next, let's spend some time reflecting on the following points:
- The parables Jesus uses speak about the Kingdom of God growing from small beginnings to something great. Reflect on a time in your life when something small, perhaps an insignificant event or a small act of kindness, grew into something much larger and more impactful. How did you see God's hand in that growth?
- Jesus describes the seed growing "without his knowing how." How does this imagery resonate with your own faith journey? Are there areas in your life where you need to trust God more, letting go of the need to understand every step?
- The mustard seed, though the smallest, grows to be the largest of all garden plants. What "mustard seeds" of faith or good works have you sown in your life? How can you nurture these small beginnings so they can grow and provide shelter and support to others?
- The parable teaches that the growth of the Kingdom of God is often hidden and takes time. Reflect on your own spiritual growth. Are there areas where you have been impatient with yourself or with God's timing? How can you cultivate more patience and trust in the slow work of God in your life?
- "He explained everything in private to his disciples." How do you create space in your life to hear God's explanations and insights? What practices help you listen more deeply to God's Word?
- What "harvests" in your life are ready to be gathered? Are there areas where you feel called to act but have been hesitant?
It is good to keep a personal journal where reflections that stood out for you are recorded.
The outcome of those Sunday Micro Retreats is good material that you can talk about in your spiritual direction.
