11th Sunday: Ezek 17:22-24. 2 Cor 5:6-10. Mk 4:26-34.

The readings this weekend remind us that patience is a virtue.

The world wants to see good results as soon as possible, without having to pass through problems, but it’s good to look to the future… and live life with patience and hope. I’m sure that as young Mrs Ratzinger in Germany was cleaning the face of young Joseph in early c20, she didn’t think that she was cleaning the face of a a future Pope…who’d end up cleaning the face of the whole Church (Pope Benedict XVI… 265th Supreme Pontiff). Many of those that we now respect, such as the canonized saints, had to put up with disrespect, and even persecutions, during their few years on Earth. Jesús did!

The very fact that Jesus preaches parables and not long boring lists of instructions is a nice friendly gesture. St Paul (second reading) refers to the ‘Judgemnt seat of Christ’ (2 Cor 5:19), but that’s where we have a friendly friend!

They call us the ‘residents’ in my MS centre (home), while in hospitals they call you the ‘patients’, but I hope that I’m both… a patient resident! Call me what you want… but I hope that I’m a Christian one!

If Ireland does somehow manage to win the soccer match today (Thursday), I hope they won’t kick me out of Spain! I’m not a ‘majestic cedar’ (first reading) but this weird oak tree (‘Dara’) wants to keep growing!

……………… Dara.

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