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MUSTARD SEED
BY: MARK ANTHONY ROSOLOWSKI

Look at a mustard seed one of God's creations, the seed is so tiny and small. Yet from this tiny seed grows the most magnificent and hardy of all trees. You have to wonder how this small seed grows into such a large tree. The answer is simple it is because of God's Hand. Is there a hidden message in this small seed and the tree that it produces? For years, I have been taught lessons of the mustard seed. However in all of these lessons the one that has had the most impact on me was told to me by a priest when I was about eight years old, as I sat on the floor in the church as he gave a Homily to all the children.

He had a few mustard seeds with him, and passed them out to all of the children. As he did that he told us to look at the seed, and make note of its size. He also replaced the seeds as we dropped them and could not find them on the floor. As we looked at the seeds he held out a picture of a tree with a man standing next to it. The tree dwarfed the man standing there; the branches seemed to spread on forever. It was then that he told us that the tree in the picture was a mustard tree and it had grown from a tiny mustard seed.

He told us that we are the mustard seeds. He told us that God created us and we were the small seeds that He has planted. He continued on with telling us that God has planted each one of us in His beautiful garden. He further told us that going to church and listening to the Bible would help our roots to grow, those words would be the fertilizer to make us grow strong. He told us that as we grew, we needed to continue to listen to the word of God, the Good News that Jesus has proclaimed. He impressed on us that if we listen and hear we would grow as the mustard tree grows. We would stand tall over other men who do not believe, we would become the most beautiful trees in the garden of God.

As I went back to my pew, I put the mustard seed in my pocket, with the intention that I would plant it when I got home. When I got home I emptied my pockets, now if you ever saw what a small boy carries in his pocket, you probably can see me taking out my yo-yo, my army men, my piece of lucky string, my interesting stone, a bottle cap, a small ball, and many other things. The only thing I could not find was my mustard seed. I kept looking for it; I had my lucky dirt, but no mustard seed. I finally gave up looking and went to watch television, thinking I would ask father for another seed tomorrow when I got to school. Of course in the mind of a small boy I forgot to ask for the seed, but I still remember the story. I wonder at times have I grown into the tree I am suppose to be.