Daily Retreat 07/28/08

2008 Jul 28 MON Jer 13:1-11/Deuteronomy 32:18-19, 20, 21/Mt 13:31-35   From today's readings:  "Wicked people who refuse to obey My words, who walk in the stubbornness of their hearts....  you have forgotten God who gave you birth!...  All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables."   Heavenly Thoughts   Many of the Lord's parables offer analogies to help us understand the Kingdom of Heaven.  The tendency is to limit our notion of Heaven, considering it strictly as God's dwelling and the place of eternal reward for saintly people after death.  Heaven is certainly all that ... and more!  For some of the parables seem to be intended specifically to help us expand our understanding of God's Kingdom.   Some translators, instead of "kingdom" prefer the word "reign," which seems less territorial based, and thus more focused on the dynamic extent of God's active and providential rule.  Nonetheless, both nuances are included in the perfection of Heaven!  Likewise, sometimes the context portrays the Kingdom of Heaven as a future, eschatological reality, whereas other times, the immediate and present dimension of God's Kingdom is stressed - but again, both the present and future aspects of Heaven need to be acknowledged.   When Jesus compared the Kingdom of Heaven to a mustard seed and yeast, He wanted His listeners to understand the inherent potential and transforming power of God's reign.  Like so many of the Lord's  parables, these similes cannot be reduced to any one trite explanation, for they are intended to offer food for thought now and until the end of time.