The Power of the Seed
January 31, 2025 - Friday, Memorial of Saint John Bosco, Priest
Mark 4:26-34
The parables in today’s Gospel deliver a profound and clear message: the Kingdom of God begins modestly but grows into something magnificent. This truth is deeply embedded in the story of salvation. Consider the call of Abraham: God chose an old man with no children and promised him descendants as numerous as the stars (Heb. 11:12). From this unlikely beginning emerged a vast people who carried forward God’s covenant.
The history of the Church echoes this pattern of small beginnings. Jesus called twelve ordinary men — fishermen, tax collectors, and zealots — to be His disciples. With their humble testimony and the transformative power of the Holy Spirit, they laid the foundation for a Church that now spans the globe. Today, this Church stands as “a majestic tree,” where people from every nation find refuge “in the shade of its large branches” (cf. Ezek. 17:23).
One of the central messages of these parables is the inherent power of the seed. Abraham became the father of many nations not by his own effort but by allowing God to work in his life. Similarly, the growth of the Church is not a result of human achievement but a miracle of God’s grace. The twelve apostles were described in Acts as “unschooled, ordinary men” (Acts 4:13), yet filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, they brought the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
In our modern world, we often struggle with the temptation to control every aspect of our lives. We are fixated on results and outcomes, using every available method to force growth and ensure success. Yet, these parables remind us of the importance of surrendering to God. “This is what the kingdom of God is like: A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how” (Mark 4:26-27). The farmer’s role is to plant the seed, but the growth comes from God.
I recall a piece of advice from my spiritual director: “Let God take over.” This wisdom speaks to our need for faith and trust. When we try to take over from God, we exhaust ourselves in vain. But when we step back and allow God’s power to work, we witness the incredible fruits of His grace.
Our task is clear: scatter the seed of God’s Word generously. We do this by reading Scripture, participating in the Eucharist, and sharing the Gospel with others. Beyond that, we must trust in God to bring about the harvest. The growth of the Kingdom is not something we can manufacture; it is a divine mystery. Just as the farmer trusts the seed’s unseen power, we must trust in the transformative power of God’s Word and Spirit.
These parables challenge us to reexamine our reliance on human effort and to embrace the humility of faith. The Kingdom of God does not depend on our abilities but on God’s limitless grace. By scattering seeds of faith and surrendering the results to Him, we participate in the miraculous growth of His Kingdom. Let us take heart in the promise that, from small beginnings, God brings forth a harvest of unimaginable abundance.