Have you ever seen a mustard seed? It is very small, about the same size, if not smaller, than a sesame seed. That little mustard seed when nurtured and cared for becomes a very big tree. That speck of a seed becoming a glorious tree is just an example of what God can do with the smallest of things.
Twelve years ago, today the Northeast was hit by Super Storm Sandy. It left so many people without power for days and it left others rebuilding for years. My home only lost power for one hour and God took that hour and turned it into years of work. I remember turning my computer on and a post popped up on Facebook of a young mom asking for help. She was down the shore on one of the barrier islands and was cut off from the mainland due to the road being washed away. She was asking for formula for her baby. That post led to me calling a friend in town to ask if we could start collecting items for those affected by the storm. Within a day we had a collection site. That site turned into a make shift shelter that feed first responders and line men. That one phone call turned into a three-year project to rebuild homes in Union Beach which was one of the hardest hit areas. I remember five days into the project speaking to a reporter and he said how are you doing this, and I said “I am just getting the word out, I know God will jump in.” He then said “what do you need now?” “I need trucks to get the items delivered and gas for the volunteers who are driving back and forth.” He laughed and said, “do you really think someone will give you trucks and gas?” I replied, “you print it, God will do the rest.”
God did not disappoint, and he added a believer to the fold. Within two hours of the local paper posting the article online, we had trucks, and a local marketing company donated several thousand dollars of Exxon gas cards. The next day the reporter was back taking pictures of the company donating the cards and of the trucks loading up. He said, “you really believed it would happen, what made you so sure” I said, “with God all things are possible.”
Today I see the same thing happening. We here are Loyola are partnering with local Knights of Columbus, the Order of Malta, and local churches in collecting supplies for our brothers and sisters down south who were devastated by Hurricane Milton. The donations have been coming for days and the kindness and joy shown by the givers is beautiful.
That is the lesson in today’s gospel. God can take the smallest bit of faith, the smallest, good deed, the smallest act of kindness and turn it into a great treasure to be shared. God does not care how big the donation is, God cares about the love and kindness being shared with others. You can find more information about the collection at the bottom of this email.
Be the mustard seed and let God do the rest.