11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

As the 1st anniversary of my mother's death quickly approaches, I find myself thinking about her more than usual. Especially her seemingly unwavering faith. Not once did I see her not wanting to be at Mass. Not once did I see her miss Mass unless she was sick. This is why the 2nd Reading really spoke to me on Sunday:

"Brothers and sisters:
We are always courageous,
although we know that while we are at home in the body
we are away from the Lord,
for we walk by faith, not by sight.
Yet we are courageous,
and we would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord.
Therefore, we aspire to please him, 
whether we are at home or away.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,
so that each may receive recompense,
according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil."
- - 2 Cor 5:6-10

The mustard seed gospel (MK 4:26-34) fit perfectly with my mom. She was always learning about her faith. She may not have had time when we were growing up, but once we were out of the house, my neighbor could see her early in the morning, reading the daily readings along with reflections. She was wise enough to know when to answer my questions about my faith, and when to let me figure it out on my own. 
During the Homily, the priest said that as we move into Ordinary Time, this is a time of growth. We have planted the seeds of faith, but it's up to us to do the work. And boy, do I have a lot of work to do!