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