The Kingdom of God is the growth of God’s rule in human hearts. It occurs when people do the will of God and surrender their lives to God. The seed of faith lies dormant within each of us.

When we permit the Holy Spirit to nurture it with His grace and care, it grows miraculously into gigantic proportions. The growth is slow and microscopic in the beginning, but the seed grows through the power of the Holy Spirit, given to us through the word of God, as well as Mass, sacraments and prayers.

As we learn God’s will from His words and try to put these words into practice, we participate in the growth of God’s kingdom on earth, which will be completed in our heavenly life. Since we need the special anointing of the Holy Spirit to live the word of God, let us offer our lives to Him every day, asking for this special anointing.

We need not be discouraged. Since the acceptance God’s rule by human beings is a very slow process, there is the danger of discouragement and hopelessness among preachers, evangelists and believers. The conviction that growth of the kingdom of God is the work of the Holy Spirit, with our humble cooperation, should make us optimistic in continuing our work of bearing witness to Him.

We can all plant tiny seeds in the form of words of love, acts of encouragement, deeds of charity, mercy and forgiveness. Parents and teachers can plant many seeds in the minds of their children and students. The Holy Spirit will touch the hearts of the recipients of the seeds sown by us and will affect growth of the kingdom in their souls and lives. As the apostle Paul once said of his ministry, “Neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.”