Romans 8:18-25 / Luke 13:18-21
The news of pregnancy usually brings about joy.
That is because pregnancy is a sign of fertility, a sign of new life, a new beginning, a new hope even.
The 1st reading used the analogy of pregnancy and birth-giving to express the Christian dimension of the hope of being freed from the slavery of sin.
And this hope is being fulfilled by the gift of the Spirit that brings about in us a new birth as children of God and first-fruits of the Spirit.
But this new life does not happen automatically or without effort on our part.
Just as a woman suffers the discomfort of pregnancy and the pain of childbirth, similarly if we want to live the new life of the Spirit, then struggle and suffering is inevitable.
Yet, we are reminded that what we suffer in this life can never be compared to the glory, as yet unrevealed, which is waiting for us.
Just as the gospel parables of the mustard seed and the yeast which will take time to grow and manifest, so will the fruits of the Spirit in our lives take time to grow and develop.
We need to be patient as the Kingdom of God slowly grows within us.