We continue the parables of the Kingdom. The first is the parable of the tiny mustard seed. It is a parable full of hope and confidence. The early Church, scattered in small communities, largely cut off from each other, all over the Mediterranean area must have felt very small, very vulnerable. The idea that in time it would become the central cultural influence all over Europe must have been beyond the wildest dreams of those early Christians. But that tiny seed did become a large tree providing shelter and comfort to millions in every corner of the world.

The parable of the yeast in the dough is similar but with a different nuance. A tiny amount of yeast put into a large batch of dough produces striking results. A dough batch, over a matter of hours, can swell to twice its original size. The effects of the yeast, quite invisible, reach to every corner. Again, this parable points to a very important element in the life and work of the Church. It only exerts its influence when it is totally immersed in the society it wishes to reach and influence but it can do this while still being only a small part of the whole.