Moving mountains

Bible verse:
"Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain..." (Matthew 17: 14-20)

Inspiration:
My wife has a necklace that holds a glass pendant shaped like a heart. In the center of the heart, there is a mustard seed, one of the symbols of our faith. In six Gospel passages, Jesus refers to the mustard plant. He uses it to describe both heaven and faith. But, in all six passages, Jesus speaks figuratively, not literally. He uses the mustard seed as a symbol to convey an idea.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus points out that the mustard seed is very small, no bigger than the point of a pencil. But that small seed has some amazing properties. When planted in the ground and watered, it sprouts within three days. It develops quickly, its roots growing three times faster than its stalk until it reaches a height of 15 feet or more. It is so tenacious that it can soon take over an entire field. As an evergreen, it does not shed its leaves during the harsh winter and it is capable of withstanding long periods of drought. It’s an amazing little seed.

This is the symbol Jesus uses when He wants to emphasize that however small our faith might be it is equal to our challenges. We simply have to do our best and let God do the rest.

When Jesus said faith the size of a mustard seed could move mountains, He didn’t expect to be taken literally. There would be no point in moving a mountain just for the sake of doing so. But speaking metaphorically, we all have mountains to climb, problems that loom large in our minds, occasionally blocking the sun, casting shadows in our paths. Those mountains can be conquered by the power of prayer. Prayer may not "move" the mountain but it will move us. Instead of scaling it, we may tunnel through the problem or go around it. But eventually we will put it behind us.

In order to do so the roots of our faith must go deep. Our prayers must be evergreen, ever faithful. When we experience periods of harsh, dry growing conditions, we have to tap into those deeper reserves. Just like the mustard seed we have to keep on growing.

See also related reflection: "Parable of the Mustard Seed"

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.