The Good Seed Flourishes

Tuesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

By Beth DeCristofaro

(Jesus) said in reply, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the Kingdom. The weeds are the children of the Evil One, and the enemy who sows them is the Devil.  The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.  Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.  (Matthew 13:37-40)

Piety

Gracious God, you created salt which livens up my food.   Help me put on faith and be grateful as my life takes on new flavor.

Help me each day to put on hope so that every day will be enlightened and my horizons will not be dark. 

Help me put on love that my life will be like a house built on rock, and my journey will be joyful because many friends journey with me.

Each day may I put on Christ, my friend in whom I can always trust and be full of his love.

And, Lord Jesus, inspire me to offer the witness of faith and the service of charity to others so that I will carry to this world a ray of Your light.

(Taken from Pope Francis’ address to youth in Brazil, July 25, http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1303225.htm )    

Study

The National Catholic Reporter recently posted a story about two teens from Alaska whose hard-earned money to attend World Youth Day vanished when the travel agency coordinating the delegation’s trip went bankrupt.  The story described the enthusiasm and work with which the teens originally made the money and then the commitment of Alaska’s bishops and donors who re-raised enough that the entire teen delegation were able to go to Brazil.

In Brazil, the Pope visited a slum in which dedicated Christians and particularly Catholics help the poorest of the poor.  His message:  “The Church is with you.”  Jesus’ parable comes to mind as He offers a picture of patience to the faithful – not patience with poverty but patience knowing that the justice and mercy of God will prevail.  In building the Kingdom Jesus asks that we recognize the needs of our neighbors just as He did.

These are very small gardens numerically but these groups constitute vibrant, dedicated and faith-filled “good seed.”  Amid all the hurt, poverty, violence in the world, God’s Word bears much fruit. 

Action

How do I manifest as “good seed?”  How do my actions, my words reflect my relationship with God through Jesus and thereby help others who might have doubts, concerns, or fears?  How do I practice loving, active patience in a world of good seed and bad?