SOWN TO GROW

 

First Reading: Ezek 17:22-24
Second Reading: 2 Cor 5:6-10

Gospel: Mk 4:26-34

Dear friends we are in the eleventh Sunday of Ordinary Time. The theme of this Sunday is ‘the growth of one’s spiritual life’. Very often I wonder or ask about myself how even as religious priest, despite following regular practices of piety that I still fall into a sin? I wonder, what is the benefit of constantly feeding myself with the Word of God and many spiritual readings, they haven’t helped me or prevented me from falling into sin or repeating the sin which I had committed long back or resolved to avoid it at all cost. For this dilemma the gospel of today gives the answer. The growth in spiritual life is not instant, rather a slow process. The mere fact that it is a growth it requires time. The seed that is shown in the field needs time to grow. Any hindrance done in-between to see the growth instantly would cause destruction. And so, we need patience and perseverance.

Jesus tells these two parables to explicate the nature of the kingdom of God or the life a person in His Kingdom (Christian living). The faith formation that a Christian receives at initial stage – mostly as a child – in the form of catechism and spiritual accompaniment is like showing the seed. The seed is very small like mustard seed. All of catechism and other spiritual lessons given to the child by pastors, parents and god-parents are nothing more than a size of a mustard seed. But the fruit of that seed is enormous. It becomes a great tree under which many birds can come and take shelter. Remember, a small spiritual accompaniment that we do for our children are of no little value. In later days, they make our children to be holy and virtuous people under whom many find love, care, concern, mercy, forgiveness, compassion and shelter. Therefore, sowing the seed of faith at initial stage is very important. We are not just helping our children alone rather saving great number of people who would find peace and consolation through our children in their near future.

The man who sows the seed in the first parable remains silent. He does not do anything neither for that seed to grow nor it to be ruined. His silence and patience is the opportunity for the seed to grow. Of course we need the help of the farmer to water the plant. But in today’s reading Jesus focuses on just one thing – sowing the seed – to impart lesson on initial Christian formation. This doesn’t mean that sower would remain silent if some hindrance happens to the plant. It is because, there is no hindrance is happening to the plant that the sower is keeping quiet. At the same time, as grown up people we need to constantly feed ourselves with necessary spiritual food. These are helps to sustain our place in the Kingdom of God. Even when we fall into a sin – whatever the sin may be – we need to feed ourselves with spiritual food. But please remember these feeding is only the initial stage, it would not make the person holy instantly. It will help the person to grow strong in the areas of his/her limitations. God wants to see us growing, not convert instantly as things happen in the digital platforms. We are natural beings created with love for love. Things that are made with intelligence are to be used with prudence. The product of intelligence has advancement, which is a movement from one form to another form – for instance, telephone to smart phone. On the other hand, the creation of God and natural order progress from stage to stage. We are humans, made with love for love. We progress from time to time and from stage to stage. This progress is slow and takes required time. All that we need to do is to allow the seed of Christianity that is shown into us by our parents, god-parents, pastors and others to sprout humbly. Let us also sow necessary seed of faith into our children’s heart at appropriate time in an appropriate manner. Wishing you all a good spiritual growth in Christian life.    


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