The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to seek the seed of relationship that has initiated our experience of love as a reality in our life journey.
The Reading from the Letter to the Ephesians exhorts Wives and Husbands to mutual love.
* [5:21–33] The apostle exhorts married Christians to a strong mutual love. Holding with Gn 2:24 that marriage is a divine institution (Eph 5:31), Paul sees Christian marriage as taking on a new meaning symbolic of the intimate relationship of love between Christ and the church. The wife should serve her husband in the same spirit as that of the church’s service to Christ (Eph 5:22, 24), and the husband should care for his wife with the devotion of Christ to the church (Eph 5:25–30). Paul gives to the Genesis passage its highest meaning in the light of the union of Christ and the church, of which Christlike loyalty and devotion in Christian marriage are a clear reflection (Eph 5:31–33). (Ephesians, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 128 proclaims that the ever-reliable God will bless the reverent.
* [Psalm 128] A statement that the ever-reliable God will bless the reverent (Ps 128:1). God’s blessing is concrete: satisfaction and prosperity, a fertile spouse and abundant children (Ps 128:2–4). The perspective is that of the adult male, ordinarily the ruler and representative of the household to the community. The last verses extend the blessing to all the people for generations to come (Ps 128:5–6). (Psalms, PSALM 128 | USCCB, n.d.)
The Gospel of Luke presents the Parable of the Mustard Seed and the Parable of the Yeast.
* [13:18–21] Two parables are used to illustrate the future proportions of the kingdom of God that will result from its deceptively small beginning in the preaching and healing ministry of Jesus. They are paralleled in Mt 13:31–33 and Mk 4:30–32. (Luke, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB, n.d.)
Rev. Rashmi Fernando, SJ, comments that the mustard seed, though seemingly small and insignificant, grows into a place of shelter, while the leaven quietly transforms the entire batch of dough. So, too, the Kingdom of God grows wherever love becomes a commitment and respect becomes a way of life— in listening without interrupting, apologizing without making excuses, expressing gratitude, sharing responsibilities, and choosing tenderness over resentment.
Hence, let us ask ourselves:
How faithfully do I live Christ’s conditions of love and respect in my marriage/relationships, especially when doing so demands patience, forgiveness, and sacrifice?
What small act of love and respect could I practice today to become like a mustard seed of hope and leaven of transformation within my marriage/family?
What changes do I need to make in my marriage/relationships/daily work-life to become a better leaven and mustard seed, living Christ’s example of love and respect for others? (Fernando, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “The Word of God operates in us like leaven”, by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).
"The leaven is small in quantity, yet it immediately seizes the whole mass and quickly communicates its own properties to it. The Word of God operates in us in a similar manner. When it is admitted within us, it makes us holy and without blame. By pervading our mind and heart, it makes us spiritual. Paul says, 'Our whole body and spirit and soul may be kept blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ' (1 Thessalonians 5:23). The God of all clearly shows that the divine Word is poured out even into the depth of our understanding... We receive the rational and divine leaven in our mind. We understand that by this precious, holy and pure leaven, we may be found spiritually unleavened and have none of the wickedness of the world, but rather be pure, holy partakers of Christ."(excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 96) (Schwager, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the texts for today. The passage from Ephesians called the household instructions describes how husband and life are to treat each other. Stoic teaching in the society of the time called for the wife to be obedient and the text today exhorts the husband to love and respect his wife. Today we expect a mutual obligation, but in the time when women were badly treated Christians were called to live differently. In the Gospel of Luke, the Kingdom is compared to a mustard seed and yeast in dough. It is an example of a man' s work followed by a reference to a woman's work. Friar Jude links “the butterfly effect” to the impact of small kindness to others. He notes that mustard was a very invasive plant and Jesus may be saying the Kingdom is invasive and will conquer the whole world a little at a time.
The Word Among Us Meditation on Ephesians 5:21-33 comments God that designed his creation so that, by a covenant between a man and a woman, the human race would be fruitful and multiply and form a people who would live in union with God himself. Not even sin could thwart that plan! Not even the death that followed sin could impede his grace! God’s grace is deeper than sin, and his love is stronger than death.
Paul uses this earthly imagery of marriage to help us understand Christ’s love for the Church, and he also gives us a vision for married love. In love, the Son of God united himself to us by becoming “one flesh” with his people and coming among us as a man. In that flesh, he offered himself up for us on the cross. And in the waters of Baptism, Jesus has cleansed us and clothed us in holy splendor so that we can be united with him forever. Can you imagine what the world would be like if every married couple loved each other just as fully?
“Lord, thank you for your faithful love! Pour out a spirit of selfless love on us all!” (Meditation on Ephesians 5:21-33, 2026)
Father Richard Rohr, OFM, maps the expansion from self-love and group love to the gospel call of universal love. As we see in politics, in our country, and throughout the world, at best most people just get to the second stage of knowing how to love people who are like them: their race, their nationality, their religion, their political party. When we stay at this second stage of group love, we clearly don’t create a healthy society. We can look at countries and politics the world over to witness how this is true.
In Acts 10, we discover that even Peter had to be taught by the Holy Spirit how to grow in love. Peter was at the stage of group love, believing that God only loved the Jewish people. And then this strange thing happened where the Holy Spirit fell upon gentiles! Peter looked around and said, “Oh my gosh! God seems to be for everybody and not just for the Jewish people!” He understood that it was okay to include gentiles into what eventually became known as the church. In spite of this, most of church history has not really imitated Peter’s insight. We pulled back into group think and group love.
Peter said, “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. In any country, whoever fears God and acts uprightly is acceptable” (Acts 10:34–35). At that moment he became both a Jewish and Christian heretic! Peter himself began to recognize that God works with all people of goodwill—not just people in his group. But he had to be pushed there. Little by little, God leads him to universal love. (Rohr, 2026)
We implore the Spirit to build on the Love we have experienced and lead us to practice loving concern for all the people we encounter on our journey.
References
Ephesians, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved October 27, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ephesians/5?21
Fernando, R. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved October 27, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-october-27-2026
Luke, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 27, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/13?
Meditation on Ephesians 5:21-33. (2026, October 27). The Word Among Us. Retrieved October 27, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/10/27/1702613/
Psalms, PSALM 128 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved October 27, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/128?1
Rohr, R. (2026, October 26). Expanding Our Capacity to Love. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 27, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/expanding-our-capacity-to-love/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). What God's Kingdom Is Like. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 27, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/
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