The Mustard Seed, Great for condiments, bad example…?

Arrogance

Something that you’ve probably noticed…unfortunately, about me…. and I’ve been told my whole life and I’ve been in denial about it… “Ian… you’re pretty arrogant!” Little ol’ me?! Whatever can you mean, I’m offended. And then I try and defend myself and explain how not-arrogant I am. I’m sure I didn’t even learn the word humility/humble until college…or seminary. So in high school I’d walk around in my Letterman’s jacket… “oh that patch, its nothing really, 1st team all league…” its a humble brag. I had an old mustang that my dad and I worked on together. But of course it needs a Flomaster exhaust… because it sounds better, to get attention?! Me? Little ol’ me?!

So I’m working on it. And that’s the most important thing about Christ, he’s the littlest. Meek and humble of Heart…most humble. And Mary, what’s most beautiful about her?! Her purity? Nay, her humility first!

So how am I, arrogant Ian to understand a parable about being little and humble?

Goodness sake, this parable isn’t even good enough for me. Christ, I know how the parable should’ve gone! “Children, listen to this, one day in a far off land that will be known as California, there will be a beautiful species of Redwoods known as Sequoias. You don’t know what pine trees are nor redwoods nor pine cones, but the great Sequoia will be the mightiest of trees!” If I was there, I would have tried to have Christ correct His parable.

Or I would have gone with… “Mustard seeds, they are fantastic little things. What you do is mash them up with mortar and pestle, let them soak in water to make a paste. Then you add turmeric and salt and some vinegar to taste, let it sit and viola! You’ll have a delicious condiment for hot dogs, which will be a type of food that people in America, a future country eat on the 4th of July, their Independence day when they celebrate defeating those tax hungry Brits at the end of the 18th century, which is a measurement of time using a calendar based on my birth that my Church will reveal under Pope Gregory… See, you take something small, mash it up, add something with acidity and it will make for a surprisingly delicious garnish. But using it on soft pretzels is hardly the way to go, stick with nacho cheese!”

And so I struggle with this parable also because I don’t understand how the mustard seed grows into the biggest of bushes. Maybe its another variety, a tree variety, because all we have here in California are little yellow mustard weed flower bush things. And yet, Christ is more beautiful and intentional than I ever could be…

When Junipero Serra came to California to begin ministering to the Indians he faced hardships. Did all the California Natives have different languages? How could he keep the Spanish soldiers from mistreating them. How long does building a mission take? How long does it take the natives to trust the Franciscans to build a school and a Church and a farm? How do I build many of these? How do I connect them. As you know, each Mission was to be built a days ride away from the other, from Sonoma to San Diego. And you know what Padre Serra did to know the way?! He sowed black mustard seeds, from Spain, to mark the path. They’ve since taken over country sides here in California, but yes, he would know the way in the future by the little yellow flowers that were foreign to California!

The mustard plant here in California is precisely a sacramental that shows how this little God-man, Jesus, established a Church that has always looked like a failure to the majority and powerful of the world, and yet has spread to all the ends of the earth, including California!

Again, in my arrogance, I would have done things differently… the Apostles thought so too.

“Lord, when are you going to re-establish the Kingdom?”

There’s no time for children “Let the little ones come to me.”

New American Bible: Revised Edition Chapter 16

22 Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.”

Pilate asks, “So you are a King?!”

Tear down this temple and rebuild it in three days.

My Father’s house is a place of prayer.

Satan promised Christ the world, food, success, Power, wonders…all without the Cross.

Christ humbly walks the path to Calvary, slowly. Like Padre Serra named the way throughout the California Missions, “El Camino Real,” Christ the King walks the real “Royal Road” because He is the King and his scepter is a cross and his garland crown is made from thorns. His Cross with Him on it is the little cedar crest that was plucked and cared for even throughout the Babylonian Captivity, whence we get the prophecy of Ezekiel today! Calvary is the Great Mountain which He gets planted on and buried in. From this Jerusalem mount the living bush has grown over the whole world! You and I are the little birdies that are resting in the shade.

The world always sees the Church as backwards, not as a beautiful and shady bush with delicious seeds, (The Eucharist), but as a weed.

We, those of us who call the Church our Mother, the Church which is the Kingdom of God that Christ speaks about, that grows in the world and in each of our hearts in a hidden sort of fashion can see the beauty of this plant, this Plant which gives character and flavor to the whole world, but like mustard, is hated by some! by many! How! Its not like its Cilantro!

Yesterday we had the placing of the Relic of St. Martha here in the altar. Now she’s here at the altar with Jesus until the end of time! We had our bishop here, our bishop emeritus, Our pastor and former priests that have served here! The Church was/is gorgeous with impressive music and preaching. We had sisters here and families, and all of us are representative of all the nations of the world. How could someone not want to be a part of this!?!

Yet people could say, “Why do you Catholics worship saints? I don’t want to be a part of it!”

Romano Guardini, in one of my favorite books, THE LORD, wrote thus:

“[to the heathen] His words seem to take on a special warmth, almost longing… It was among the heathen that Jesus found open souls and fresh, ready hearts. Only too often, ancient religious tradition, long training, and hard and fast usage stamp the ground hard. The spirit no longer takes any imprint; the heart remains cool or undecided, and rarely does feeling become that passion which demands absolute earnestness. So it must have been then with the Jews. The heathen, on the other hand, were rich virgin soil, frontier country of endless possibilities…”

But there is a scandal to Christ preaching the Kingdom of God. If He really is God, how can the word of God not overpower ones will, how is it possible that someone could deny God’s plan?!

He continues: “It is incomprehensible that things could go as they did when, after all, he was who he was! Why was none of those in power receptive and courageous? Why was no one there to lead the people to Christ? Why were his disciples, humanly speaking, so inadequate. Who is this God who seems to lack the power to bring about his Son’s due reception?…What kind of God must this be to remain silent before such things!…What God is this that such things could happen to his Son?” (The Lord , Seed and Earth, 102-103.

But there it is, the Church in her teachings is right about everything, even if her ministers, myself most definitely included, are arrogant and not always the best transmitters of the Word. The Word grows, and then seems to fade away, like a plant that gives off fruit with good seasons and then doesn’t in bad seasons, with fertile soil, and mediocre soil.

The Church will continue to grow. It is the Kingdom of David that God promised would last forever. It is a joy for me to be here with you and to grow the Church in this lovely and yet not so obviously beautiful Church located her in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. Our diocese of San Bernardino, with a twinkle of his eye was known by God as he said these exact words. And with the relic of St. Martha installed now, How at Bethany knew that one day, there would be this small little Church, in which many more Martha’s, many more disciples, many beautiful families would come in and enjoy the shade and shelter away from the world!

O Jesus, Meek and Humble of Heart, make my heart like unto thine!