Jesus said to the crowds: “This is how it is with the Kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how…”
When I was a young agnostic, my grandmother would often tell me she was praying for me. Well, one day I asked her, “And what will your prayers do for me?”
I never imagined in a million years what her prayers would do to me.
When we sin, we do so because we do not trust the Lord and/or are not very patient with Him.
He knows not how. There are many things in life “we know not how”. And even if we did, I question our ability to do anything about it.
In today’s Gospel passage, the Lord invites us to trust in Him and be patient with Him. He compares the Kingdom of God to a man who scatters seed on the land and, after some time, wakes up one morning to find a field of wheat where he scattered. He knows not how. But what he does know is that water, rich soil and sun are essential for a bountiful harvest.
Trust in the Lord... The Lord is good and merciful. Trust in his goodness and mercy. The Lord is loving and kind. Trust in his love and kindness. Why not? After all, the Lord provided for our needs long before we even understood our needs. Trust in the Lord always. All He expects from us is to do what is right, do what is good, and do what is holy.
What we are expected to do is exactly what we expect the sun, rich soil and water to do: maintain life and encourage growth.
What we are expected to do is exactly what we expect the sun, rich soil and water to do: maintain life and encourage growth.
But it seems to me the more we understand things, the less we trust any thing. Yes, the more scientific we’ve become, the more insecure we’ve gotten. Why is it? Maybe it’s for the same reason we do not value or grandparents.
Be patient with Him. Today is Grandparent’s Day (at St. Monica Catholic Church). This morning, I briefly prayed over them and spoke to them. I reminded them of the incredible role they play in the lives of their children and grandchildren. I reminded them that we are a nation and society that is demanding that our children grow up faster and faster every generation, maybe even every year! Grandparents are a beautiful and wise reminder to all of us to slow down! Be patient. There is a life to be lived! There is a price to be paid!
I believe there is one virtue that grandparents communicate better than any other and better than others, and that is the virtue of hope. Yes! With their presence they say, “I’ve made it.” With their experiences they say, “I’ve survived. I’ve lived through it.” By observing their every movement they say, “There’s no rush.” And by their age, they confidently communicate a strong deserve to be reunited with lost friends and family.
Trust in the Lord. Be patient with Him. We know how: through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Yes! With their presence they say, “I’ve made it.” With their experiences they say, “I’ve survived. I’ve lived through it.” By observing their every movement they say, “There’s no rush.” And by their age, they confidently communicate a strong deserve to be reunited with lost friends and family.- YES very much agree Father
ReplyDeleteI remember you told me ,once before your grandmother told you a lot ' old wives tales" as child ,
I thought that was adorable. LOL!
Tell me father Alfonse were you raised by your grandmother during your childhood and did both of you have a close relationship,???
As my baby's are with their grandmother :)
Have a safe and Blessed Weekend!
Father Alfonse,
ReplyDeleteMy grandparents didn't live close but we saw them all the time. Both of my grandfathers died before I was three years old. I still have very vivid memories of the fun times my brother and I had with them. My brother and I who are eleven months apart were their first grandchildren and my grandmothers would love to come and visit and they loved to bake. They always enjoyed my brother and I helping them bake. When they would send us gifts for Christmas and birthdays we always wrote our own thank you letters. Thought it was a beautiful thing to do to receive a thank you or a letter from your grandchildren. I love how we could still stay pretty connected from days away.
My husband was raised by his grandparents for much of his life. My husbands Dad left him with his grandparents as his Dad was no longer interested in having a relationship with his son. After many years, his Dad showed up and took his son(my husband) away with him and his grandparents had no idea where their only grandchild was. My husband knew he had grandparents but didn't make an effort to try to locate them until we became engaged and my parents found out about my husbands grandparents and said that we should make an effort to connect. We decided to start by writing a letter and sending our engagement picture to them. Within a short period of time we received a letter from them and they were so excited that they would have left immediately from Arkansas to connect. It was my parents suggestion that now after they responded that we send them a wedding invitation. Again, it didn't take long and they were ready to make the trip to our wedding. My parents had the rehearsal dinner and by all means they were invited. Before we left for the reception they approached us and invited us to their hotel and we accepted. When we arrived at their room at the hotel after the reception you could tell they were so excited to see both of us and then they asked me for the honor of being their granddaughter. I was so overwhelmed and honored. Their daughter gave them a party when they had been married sixty years. We had the idea of flying to Florida where they had moved to be closer to their daughter and surprise them for their sixtieth wedding anniversary. I will never forget the look on their faces when they knocked on their daughter's door and we answered. They have now passed away and I'm so grateful that we had so many beautiful times with them and because of my parents the connection was made.