Often people say, "I don't know how to pray". What they really mean is that their words are not eloquent or fancy. And that is good! God is not impressed by words, but by what comes from the heart. We can speak to God as we would to our best friend. When directed to God, even weeping can be a form of prayer, as can laughter and joy. When we are truly crushed and overwhelmed, we need only place ourselves in God's loving presence and the Spirit will carry our hearts heavenward.

Big things from small beginnings! This string of parables teaches us to be patient and to allow change to occur in God's way. We want results immediately, and we often become disappointed or discouraged when little seems to happen, or when the world seems to continue in its imperfection and misery. But when we begin to apply, the spiritual lessons which we have learned, to our daily lives, we will see quiet but profound changes within us that might not seem evident at first. Patience! One day at a time, one lesson at a time. We must learn to accept that we are not perfect and that we will not have all of the answers to our questions in this life. We are not called to perfection or success, but to fidelity. And by being faithful, we will be the yeast that transforms the world gradually from within.