Hope comes from noticing God at work even in small things, pope says

Pope Francis greets the crowd as he leads the Angelus from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican June 13, 2021. CNS photo/Vatican Media

For those who learn to look carefully, the world is filled with signs of God’s presence, and noticing those signs is the best way to get over feelings of disappointment, Pope Francis said.

Before praying the Angelus June 13 with hundreds of visitors in St. Peter’s Square, the pope spoke about the day’s reading from the Gospel of Mark and its parables about the farmer who sows seeds and about the tiny mustard seed that grows into a hardy shrub.

Through the parables, the pope said, Jesus “teaches us that even everyday things, which at times all seem the same and which we carry on with distraction or effort, are inhabited by God’s hidden presence; that is, they have meaning. So, we too need attentive eyes to be able to seek and find God in all things.”

The story of the mustard seed, he said, is an encouragement to look beyond initial appearances, beyond the seemingly insignificant mustard seed, “in order to discover the presence of God who, as humble love, is always at work in the soil of our life and history.”

“This is our confidence, this is what gives us the strength to go forward every day, patiently, sowing the good that will bear fruit,” the pope said.

People get discouraged when they see “the weakness of good as compared to the apparent power of evil,” he said, but the parable encourages them to look deeper.

“Even in the church, weeds of doubt can take root, especially when we witness the crisis of faith and the failure of different projects and initiatives,” the pope said. “But let’s never forget that the results of sowing do not depend on our abilities: they depend on the action of God.”

“It is up to us to sow, and to sow with love, dedication and patience,” he said. “Even in the most infertile soil, with God there is always the hope of new sprouts.”