Daily Gospel Reflection
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July 27, 2026
Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds.
“The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed
that a person took and sowed in a field.
It is the smallest of all the seeds,
yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants.
It becomes a large bush,
and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.’”
He spoke to them another parable.
“The Kingdom of heaven is like yeast
that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour
until the whole batch was leavened.”
All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables.
He spoke to them only in parables,
to fulfill what had been said through the prophet:
I will open my mouth in parables,
I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation
of the world.
Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner. The full readings of the day from the Lectionary are available here.
Throughout life, I’ve experienced things that have taught me that I may not always see or understand the fruits of my labor immediately. As I’ve gotten into endurance sports and trained for marathons and triathlons, I’ve become accustomed to showing up daily and putting in the work. From one day to the next, it never seems like I am making much progress. Come race day, though, I can see the incredible growth that I’ve made and recognize that none of that would have been possible without showing up daily and piecing together these smaller efforts.
Reflecting on this gospel passage made me realize that while I have grown accustomed to trusting the process in many aspects of life, I am hesitant to put this same trust in God and similar daily discipline into my faith and prayer life.
The parable reminds us that if we show up daily with even the smallest acts of faith, God will turn that into something greater than we can imagine. Oftentimes, it can be tempting for me to turn to God in prayer and expect him to give instantaneous results. We want God to give us an answer right away, becoming frustrated when we don’t understand how God is working in our lives.
This parable challenges us to fight this temptation and trust in God. Numerous times in the gospel, Jesus implores us to “Be not afraid,” reminding us that he has a plan in store. All Jesus asks of us is that we show up daily and plant our seed of faith, even if it’s as small as a mustard seed.
Little opportunities to plant seeds abound, so smile at that person in the hallway, stay an extra moment with the patient in the hospital, go to an extra daily Mass, talk to the homeless man on the street corner. May God give us the grace to answer this call daily and build up his kingdom.
Prayer
Christ the Teacher, you used everyday examples to teach us the most profound things. We give you thanks for the way you reveal to us the truths hidden from the beginning of time. Help me to see you in the everydayness of my life today, especially when I struggle to muster much more than a mustard seed-sized act of faith. Accept what I can offer and let it leaven all that I am, so that I may reveal your truth to others in all that I do. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Sts. Aurelius and Natalia, a Christian married couple in Islamic-controlled Spain, were martyred when they decided to refrain from hiding their faith any longer.
Aurelius was the son of a Spanish woman who had married a Muslim; they were a family of distinction in Cordoba. Both of his parents died when he was a boy, and Aurelius was left in the care of an aunt, who raised him as a Christian.
As he grew and matured, he was Christian in secret and Muslim to all appearances. He married a woman who was also from a half-Muslim family, and after their wedding, she converted to Christianity, taking the name Natalia at her baptism.
One day, Aurelius saw a man from Cordoba beaten and humiliated for standing up for his Christian faith; he was led through the city on a donkey to be gawked at. The sight moved Aurelius, and he was ashamed that he had protected his safety instead of publicly proclaiming his faith.
By this time, Aurelius and Natalia had two young children, and they worried that if they were public with their faith, they would be martyred and would leave their children destitute. They consulted a holy man in the Christian community, St. Eulogius, who advised them to make arrangements for their children to be cared for and raised as Christians if anything happened to them.
Aurelius and Natalia’s discernment inspired a relative to return to the faith. Felix was Aurelius’ cousin and was raised a Christian, but had turned away to practice Islam. Felix’s wife, Liliosa, remained faithful, and when he returned to the faith, they joined Aurelius and Natalia in reaching out to support imprisoned Christians. They even came to know that man whom Aurelius had seen paraded through the streets.
Aurelius welcomed to his home a traveling monk, George, who came from a monastery in Jerusalem and was traveling to beg for alms to support his community. The two became close friends.
Natalia and Liliosa decided to openly visit the Christian churches in Cordoba with their faces open and unveiled. They were spotted and watched. When the two couples were gathered at Aurelius’ house to celebrate the Mass, they were all arrested, along with the visiting monk, George.
They were all charged with turning away from Islam and condemned to death. As a foreigner, George was given leniency and permitted to leave, but he chose to stay with the faithful couples and to be martyred with them.
Relics of St. Aurelius rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
Sts. Aurelius and Natalia, the Christians who inspired their relatives to boldly proclaim the faith in the face of martyrdom, pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Natalia is used with permission from Catholic Online. Last accessed March 20, 2025.