A sermon on Mark 4:26-34

By Fr. Mike Paraniuk
St. Mary Catholic Church
St. Benignus Catholic Church 
St. Mary Queen of Heaven
and Holy Trinity Catholic Church

See if you can solve this riddle:

“What is stronger than God,
more evil than the devil,
poor people have it,
rich people don’t need it,
and if you eat it, you’ll die?”

I could frustrate you by delaying the answer until next week's sermon, but I won't do that. The answer is "nothing."

Jesus liked to teach the people by using parables, which are a form of riddles. A riddle is a question or story that challenges you to look beyond the words for a deeper meaning. Jesus liked parables so much He spoke 40 of them, using earthly stories to teach Heavenly truths. A great theologian named Helmut Thielicke said Jesus used parables not only to reveal the Kingdom of God, but also to reveal what the Kingdom of God does for you.

For example, with the parable of the mustard seed, Jesus reveals the Kingdom of God started very small with only Him and a band of 12 very flawed Apostles. Then, the Holy Spirit descended upon them with power from on high. The tongues of fire that lit that upper room now lights God's kingdom to the ends of the earth. The kingdom is filled with billions of people who can "come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. (Hebrews 4:16.)

Like any good riddle there is another meaning in the mustard seed revealing something special about you. Jesus is saying any one in His kingdom that has faith as tiny as a mustard seed can do great things for God. 

For 27 years at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, I prayed over sick children all day, spreading the seed of God's healing power over them. My faith told me to put them in God's hands. 

I was most moved when I prayed over the little babies in the incubators. Some were so tiny they could fit into the palm of your hand. It saddened me that at only a few weeks old they were struggling to survive.

My ministry of prayer was quiet, no drama, and very ordinary like a seed growing in the ground. There was this nurse in the Newborn ICU who befriended me. She would watch me pray daily over the children. 

One day she asked me, "Fr. Mike, you never seem down or upset. Does it ever bother you to see so many sick babies, day after day?" 

I answered, "My faith gets me through. If these babies can believe in life, I can believe in God who gave them life." 

She replied, "It's hard to believe in a God who allows such suffering."

From time to time, this nurse would ask me questions about God, the Bible and prayer. Then one day a special thing happened. 

I was saying Mass in the Hospital Chapel. In the pew, sat my nurse friend. She never came to the Mass before. Then she walks up to receive Holy Communion. I was flabbergasted. She never seemed to be interested in going to church or belonging to any particular religion. I gave her Communion. She smiled as she saw the puzzled look on my face.

When the service ended, I hurried to see her. "I thought you weren't into religion or that church going stuff." 

She laughed and said, "Shocked you, didn't I? At Easter, I joined the Catholic Church. I didn't tell you so I could surprise you." 

I had to ask, "Why did you join the church?" 

She answered, "Your faith. I saw for years how your faith brought you peace. I wanted that for myself." 

The mustard seed of one person's faith can do great things for God. The power of one person's pray can bring miracles also. 

For years, she tried to have a baby but could not. I prayed over her the prayer of St. Gerard for fertility. She had twins. The husband approached me and pleaded, "Father, please don't do that again, but I am grateful."

I close with a riddle: "What has dimples and a nose, 10 fingers and 10 toes, sweet fat little cheeks, and in nine months you will meet?" 

The answer starts with a "B"... Bills!