A Homily on Mark 4:26-34 : Notice the  Unnoticed (30-1-26)

 A reflection on Mark 4:26-34, exploring how God’s work often grows unnoticed, yet bears abundant fruit. (30-1-26)

Praise be to Jesus Christ

One evening, a thin and tired dog came and lay down near the gate of a house. No one chased it away, and no one cared for it. It lived on scraps that fell from the kitchen and stayed there, day after day, never entering the house. At night, while the family slept, the dog remained awake, alert to every sound, and nothing unfamiliar crossed the gate. No one noticed this. When the son returned from the city and saw the dog near the gate, he drove it away. That night, the gate stood unguarded. Before dawn, thieves entered and took what they could. In the quiet morning that followed, the family felt a loss deeper than what was stolen, and only then did they understand that the one they treated as nothing had protected them with its whole life.

This story reminds us of today’s Gospel where Jesus says, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how” (Mark 4:26-27). Like the dog at the gate, God’s work in our lives often goes unnoticed. The growth of faith, love, and holiness does not always appear in grand gestures or immediate results. It happens quietly, steadily, and sometimes invisibly.

We live in a world that measures success by visible achievements. We want immediate answers, clear signs, and proofs of our efforts. Yet God chooses a different path. Just as the seed sprouts silently and slowly, the fruits of prayer, small acts of kindness, and daily sacrifices may seem unnoticed, even by those closest to us. A mother quietly praying for her children, a father teaching honesty without loud words, a child offering love to a distant relative, these are seeds that grow beyond our understanding.

Saint Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower, knew this truth. She lived a life of hidden sacrifices and unnoticed love. Her small, daily offerings of patience and care were like seeds sown in the garden of God. Though the world may not have seen her great deeds, God nurtured them into a legacy that continues to inspire millions.

The prophet Isaiah also reminds us that God works in ways beyond human comprehension: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord” (Isaiah 55:8). Growth happens without noise, without control, without proof. God’s kingdom advances quietly, and our task is not to demand immediate results, but to trust in His unseen providence.

In our family life, unnoticed work often carries the greatest importance. A spouse who listens without judgement, a parent who forgives silently, a sibling who offers comfort without expectation, these acts may seem ordinary but guard the household in ways we do not always recognise. When we embrace the unnoticed, we participate in the mysterious growth of God’s kingdom.

Let us then be patient with ourselves and others. Let us sow seeds of love, kindness, and prayer, even if the world does not notice. Trust that God sees, nurtures, and brings them to fruition in His perfect time.

Lord Jesus , help us to  notice the un noticed. Amen.

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