Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Ezekiel; 17:22-24; 2 Corinthians 5:6-10; Mark 4:26-34
Saint John Baptist de LaSalle/Saint Stephen June 16, 2024
It seems, at least to me, that all throughout my life I have been trying to grow things. As far back in time that I can remember my mother had a Spider Plant growing in a corner of our dining room. Over the years, as it grew too old and too large, it got moved to the cellar where it would flourish and grow for the rest of my life, with little help from me. The help that I gave was an occasional watering, it seems that Spider Plants can go months and months without watering, however, eventually they do die.
Now here I am, an old man, in the last years of his life, and yes I do have a Spider Plant. Twenty years ago, while fishing in Alaska, the home in which I was staying had a large Spider Plant, from which I removed a shoot, and that shoot, growing in my home right now, its huge and it needs a drink of water. Seeing your plants every day, their growth does not astound you, for they grow slowly. However, the joy of gardening is seeing growth, especially their blossoms or fruit. The same is true in our lives.
We want to see the blossoms, but it is rather hard to do, whether we are looking at ourselves or those who are dear to us. That is why we are always astonished when we are reunited with loved ones after considerable absence. A few weeks ago, Michael Thomas Martin was installed as the 5th Bishop of Charlotte. Hundreds of priests, some young and many old, gathered for this celebration, giving us the chance to listen to old and new stories.
The new stories were about the places where we as priests have and had been assigned over the years, the work we had been given to do. It goes without saying, because they would not, so I will, they have done their work well. Some were pastors, some worked with the poor and the sick, some worked at the jobs that had been assigned to them by the Bishop, however, all were doing their jobs. I marveled at how the seed God had planted had grown, even as we had grown old.
These last forty years have made that all so clear to me. The seed is the Kingdom of God, which God came to plant firmly on earth. Our society looks upon signs of aging as symptoms of decline. It says we should try to look like fashion models or body builders, strutting our good looks.
But of course, our wrinkles and gray hair come from worry, concern and fear without number. Bad backs, worn out knees and broken hips, come from years of labor. Most people do not see these things as proof of their productivity, as badges of wisdom, or even faithfulness and care, but they should, especially if they are thinking about their fathers this weekend.
But that is our culture. As for the Gospel: “To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? It is like a mustard seed that, when its sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”
Most of us do what we can in the garden God has given to us to grow and tend. We try to love even those who, are at times, difficult to love. We work harder than we probably should, and we possess sufficient humility to confess the sin of feeling resentment, when no one seems to notice.
We need to remember that the Kingdom of God has been given to us as seed, not blossoms. It is not for us to see the days when, “it shall put forth branches and bear fruit.” No, we have been asked to imitate Jesus. He planted the seed; he worked hard for the Kingdom; but was hung upon the tree of life.
We will grow old and weary, but what we plant at the foot of the cross will grow into something we will never truly see, until we look upon God’s Garden in glory. Discouragement will come. Like Jesus hung upon the cross we will close our eyes. Unlike Jesus, because of our sin, we will question ourselves, “have I done enough,” who will notice,” “what will become of my work,” “who will even care.”
We are about to pass away, to hand over to others the work we have not completed. Others will look upon all that God has made, all that God has planted in Christ Jesus, and they will see, in the light of glory, the fulfillment of what Jesus promises for his Kingdom.
“It shall put forth branches and bear fruit and become a majestic cedar. Birds of every kind shall dwell beneath it, every winged thing in the shade of its boughs.”