Jesus teaches that the mustard seed, like the reign of God, once sown, “springs up and becomes the largest of plants.” Saying that the 2010 Affordable Care Act had grown to encompass millions of the previously uninsured and underinsured, President Obama told the Catholic Health Association (CHA) Tuesday that only the most “cynical” would turn back the clock on health reform. The president came to the CHA’s annual assembly to praise the audience of 1,000 members for their role in the act’s passage in 2010.

Homily hint: Healthcare reform is a work in progress but it is hard to deny that many more low-income Americans now have health coverage than was the case five years ago. The Catholic Health Association has a long history of healing those who are hurting; their voice in support of healthcare reform carries great weight. 

For more on affordable healthcare, see: Obama to Catholic health leaders: Only ‘cynics’ would dismantle health reform