Deacon Jim’s Homily July 12th
“A sower went out to sow…”
Those simple words begin one of the most compelling parables in the Gospel— a story that has much to teach us not only about gardening and growing, but also about listening. Listening to the Word of God. Being receptive to it. Being open to it.
That can be hard to do, when there is so much noise in the world distracting us from God and trying to drown out his Word.
But there is something very hopeful to this parable that I’d like all of us to consider this morning.
First, as much as this famous parable is about our being open to God and the seeds that He sends our way, it is also about God’s eagerness to share those seeds.
This is a story about God’s extravagant generosity – and his boundless love. The sower doesn’t discriminate, doesn’t pick and choose. He scatters his seeds — His Word, His Truth — anywhere and everywhere. He doesn’t hold back. He is generous beyond measure with what he has to offer. He knows that it will somehow reach the richest soil.
It might even be in the most unexpected of places.
You may have heard of a man named Thomas Merton. He was a jaded, jazz-loving, cigarette-smoking, girl-chasing writer who drifted from being an indifferent Protestant to being a communist – and then, in the middle of his wanderings, discovered the poetry of the Catholic writer William Blake. That led him to explore the Catholic Church and eventually to convert. He fell madly, deeply in love with God. Merton became a Trappist monk and writer. He stands today as one of the influential Catholic writers of the 20 century.
Even among the thorns of Merton’s confused and complicated life, God’s seed found rich soil.
It happens again and again in our history – from St. Paul to St. Augustine to St. Ignatius to Dorothy Day and beyond. The soil they sprang from wasn’t always ideal. We are a church of rocks, and thorns, besieged by birds – and yet, amid this vast and surprising garden, God’s smallest seeds find fertile ground. His Word takes root.
Which brings me to one other significant point in this parable. It bears remembering. In this story, the sower doesn’t change. The seed doesn’t change.
What changes is the soil.
What changes are the conditions that allow the seed to be planted.
What changes is the environment that lets the seed bear fruit.
What changes, in fact…is us.
In some ways, this parable is good to use as a sort of “examination of conscience”. It can help us figure out what kind of soil is in our hearts and minds. Are we rocky and shallow? Are we distracted with the weeds of “things” and other pointless distractions and cares? But if we stop there, we are missing the call that is included in this story. Jesus is inviting us to be sure to prepare the soil and to care for what God has planted within us. Dirt-packed paths can be broken up and the soil enriched, rocks and debris can be removed, and thorns and weeds can be torn out, leaving behind fertile space for growing. We have a part to play in this, other than simply being receptive.
Be the rich soil. Don’t let the thorns of sin and selfishness take over. Don’t let the wild birds of the world carry it off. Don’t give in to the rocks of indifference or the stones cynicism or dry pebbles that cause hardness of heart. Absorb all that the Lord offers us. Listen to his word. Nurture it. Grow something beautiful. Be open to God’s creative work and continue what he began.
And over the last few months, I’ve been reminded of just how good the soil is right here in this parish. On March 6, I was admitted to the hospital with a raging infection throughout my body, wound on my backside in a place not to be mentioned in polite company, and a weakened, fibrillating heart. In the aftermath of all that, the outpouring of prayers and support from this faith community has been truly unbelievable.
Thank you.
The fruit from that rich soil of yours has resulted in somehow my heart healing itself. As of this past Wednesday, my unmentionable wound is completely healed. When it was first found, I was told to expect a healing time of several months to a year. I also was introduced to my new leg this week. We took about 15 steps together. They were not pretty, but they were legitimate steps. Thank you for every prayer, every rosary, every Mass, every lit candle, every card and note that came from your rich soil.
The message this weekend is to be the soil that will let the seeds of God’s love take root and grow. Because, if we are open to God’s miraculous work, we cannot help but be the people God wants us to be.