“Tilling Our Soil” by
Wayne Miller
Thus says the Lord: /
Just as from the heavens / the rain and snow come down / and do not return
there / till they have watered the Earth, / making it fertile and fruitful, /
giving seed to the one who sows / and bread to the one who eats, / so shall my Word
be / that goes forth from my mouth; / my Word shall not return to me void, /
but shall do my will, / achieving the end for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11)
You have visited the
land and watered it; greatly have you enriched it. (Psalm 65:10)
We know that all
creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; and not only that but we
ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, we also groan within
ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. (Romans 8:18-23)
The seed is the Word
of God, Christ is the sower.
All who come to him
will have life forever.
“A sower went out to
sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up.
Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once
because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it
withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up
and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit, a hundred
or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear.” Matthew 13:1-23
Piety
“I AM A GOD NEARBY”,
David Kaufmann, Good for the Soul Music
I know you have
tirelessly sought out to find me
Like some explorer might
do
Gone to the ends of the Earth
for a cause
In my name have you
named what you do
But under your feet is
the ground
Where my joy can be
found
So, close your eyes and
feel my presence for
I am a God nearby, I am
not far away
I am a God nearby; I am
not far away from you.
Study
Jesus says we are four
types of soil. Isaiah and the Psalmist promise that nothing sowed is ever
wasted. And St. Paul tells us that if we hold onto the first fruits of the
Spirit that we have received (and do some groaning occasionally), we will share
in the glorious freedom of the children of God. Just as Jesus coached his
disciples, we must live and announce that the KINGDOM OF GOD is here and
now.
At Ascension just a few
weeks ago, the disciples asked Jesus if He was going to establish the Kingdom.
He said NO, YOU are going to spread the seed of my Word to all the Earth!
How do I do that as I
experience the FOUR TYPES OF SOIL that exist in my life? HOW DO I NURTURE THE
SEEDS GIVEN ME? HOW DOES GOD NURTURE THE SEEDS GIVEN ME?
Our Cursillo weekend
gave us the Grace to know that God loves us, and the Tools to nurture and
discover how God calls each of us as his unique, beloved children to LIVE His
Love every day of our lives.
Our beloved Catholic
Church gives us Sacraments, Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy, a rich
Teaching Magisterium, and Community (worship, education, social interaction,
and opportunities to act on lessons learned). However, there is another aspect
of this Christian Catholic life that we miss: reflection. Am I so busy doing
Christian things that I don’t take the time to BE a Christian?
Hard path: What is a
“hard teaching” for me? In Group Reunion, I have a secure, intimate, trust
relationship with brothers and sisters.
Each of us seeks a deeper relationship with God, who have experienced
epiphanies in their walks that encourage me and open my vision and heart to
understand and connect with God in my response to the hard teachings. What if
Jesus’ followers that abandoned him over His Bread of Life discourse had gone
to a Group Reunion and expressed their dismay to their brothers?
Thin, rocky soil: When
the Word/Seed takes root and springs up into exciting bouquets of action, it is
easy to burn out quickly. I have committed to lots of holy DOING, without
reflecting on how God is manifesting Himself in my life and activities. My
Group Reunion holds me accountable for discerning where God is in all this
busyness. How do my conversations with Him and the wisdom gained from the
universe of spiritual sources show me where God is in my action? Group Reunion
is not just a time for the recitation of “problems” or “accomplishments”; it is
a precious time for reflection and sharing of how God is alive in me!
Life among the Weeds:
Group Reunion keeps me focused on my relationship with God amid all the weeds
that inevitably grow in my life. I can’t stop the weeds, and God certainly
doesn’t make them grow there. They are just part of life. But the question is:
How do I live my Kingdom Life in their midst? What does God want me to learn? I
must show up at Group Reunion for reflection on my Piety, Study, and Action,
where I’m inspired to hear God speaking through my brothers and sisters and my reflections.
Group Reunion is my Google Maps to get through the Weed Patch and back to
Kingdom Living.
I am flourishing in Rich
Soil: Life in the Kingdom, here and now! Great Piety, Amazing Study epiphanies,
miracles are happening in my life and the lives of those I love and serve. What
do I need Group Reunion for, when I’m living and reflecting God’s Love every
day? This time is when I MUST show up at Group Reunion – for my brothers and
sisters – because they deserve to hear the Good News as it’s happening in my
life. If I don’t return the gift, they have so often given me, I’m nothing but
“a noisy gong or a clashing cymbal” as St. Paul told the Corinthians!
Action
Cursillo doesn’t end on
Sunday night of the weekend. Cursillo BEGINS on Sunday night when we return to
our world and face how to live and proclaim the Kingdom. The “world” is more
durable than the most influential individual Cursillista. Let’s live our Fourth
Day in community with brothers and sisters who are willing to gather
consistently to hold each other accountable for how they see their relationship
with God. Then we can proclaim the
Kingdom in our lives and our words and see miracles even more happen!
I need Group Reunion not
to boast of the blessings God has showered on me, but to share the vision of
God’s blessings to keep the Kingdom Dream alive!
Don’t invite your
friends to a “weekend” upgrade. Invite them to a lifetime of Love, Joy, and
Peace with brothers and sisters in relationship with our Triune God, who loves
each of us exactly as we are and only wants us to discover the Pure Joy of
living His Love in every aspect of our lives. No new clubs to join. No dues. There are no
bake sales or car washes. Just great coffee (?) and companions and consistent
awareness that we are never alone.
Invite them to a life of
perfect balance. Invite them to reflect on how God is in every moment of every
day of every situation in our lives.
De Colores!
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