July 27. SEE.   Granny Toni explained to the grandchildren on her birthday as they all sat in the shade under the tree in her yard.  “When I was still quite a young woman I did struggle a bit with my faith.  The man I loved was not interested in God and I didn’t know what to do.  I spoke to our priest and he gave me a word of encouragement.  Even faith as small as a mustard seed can survive.  He gave me a few mustard seeds.  I planted one and here, right where you are sitting is one of the fruits of my faith and your granddad is the other. I hope this can be an example to you too.  Maybe you can go and plant a seed somewhere and let it grow into a big tree for very many years. Sometimes when it gets very old some of its branches do fall down, but it still keeps growing like the big olive tree at the church in Bryanston. “ 

JUDGE. Reflect and share. Scripture. Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field.   Mat 13:31-35. Pope Francis:   Education in the faith has to adapt to each child. Parents desirous of nurturing the faith of their children are sensitive to their patterns of growth for they know that spiritual experience is not imposed but freely proposed.   Moments of family prayer and acts of devotion can be more powerful for evangelization than any catechism class of sermon. AL288.  Pope Leo:   Finally, social ties must be supported, with networks and educational communities that accompany life choices and prevent uncertainty from giving rise to loneliness or addictions. If implemented, these technological transformations can be navigated without undermining the capacity to build the future, which is what makes a society prosperous. MH169    We do not consider the present as a predetermined fate, but an opportunity for personal and collective conversion. Moreover, we believe in the power of the Kingdom, which grows from the tiny size of a mustard seed, which, once sown, sprouts and grows, MH210

ACT AND PRAY.  Share some special time with a special person. Pray the Prayer of St Francis, pray for grandparents and the elderly.  We pray for God’s blessing on the grandparents and elderly of our families and community, bless them with peace and contentment and an acceptance that their lives were well spent. We ask St Joachim and St Anne, the grandparents of Jesus, to pray with us.