What surprises are you growing?

Good News Reflection
Friday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
January 28, 2011

Today's Saint: Thomas Aquinas
Pray for help with theological study:
http://wordbytes.org/saints/DailyPrayers/ThomasAquinas.htm

Today’s Readings:
Heb. 10:32-39
Ps 37:3-6, 23-24, 39-40
Mark 4:26-34
http://www.usccb.org/nab/012811.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/11_01_28.mp3

What surprises are you growing?

"This is how it is with the reign of God," explains Jesus in today's Gospel reading: We scatter our faith around like seeds by interceding for others, by doing God's will, and by sharing our faith stories with those who will listen. Since we cannot make these seeds sprout and grow (only God can), we're taken by surprise when we walk into the field and run smack into full-grown cornstalks.

As Christians who accept the mission that Christ has given to us, we are in partnership with God. That's what the reign of God is. We sow, God makes it grow. However, if we forget that it's a partnership, or if we doubt that God cares more about the crop than we do, or if we take full credit for what we do, God's reign comes by surprise.

In whatever difficulty you're enduring, have you been asking God to help you? Then he is! What have you learned that's improved your holiness and increased your trust in God? These are a few of the seeds you can scatter. Often, we're so busy staring at the dirt that we neglect to see what's sprouting from the seeds we've been sowing.

Everything that grows is a miraculous intervention of God. We could water and fertilize and pull weeds for a million years and nothing would grow unless God gets involved. But the greatest surprise is that the very thing we dislike most about our difficulties is exactly what God uses as fertilizer – which produces a wonderful harvest. (Think of the material that natural fertilizer is made from. That dirty, smelly stuff is very useful!)

As today's first reading points out, "Remember the days past when you endured great suffering." Although we must do everything possible to stop abuse, when we handle difficulties with Christ-like love, it produces great fruits. Don't look for short-cuts or try to veer away from the unpleasant paths on which God is leading you. A greater value lies ahead!

God's help comes to us at the earliest possible best moment, not a moment sooner regardless of how much we beg for a quick end to our trials. The question is not: "Why me? How much longer must I suffer this way?" Rather, the real question is: "How can this be used to help others?" This is how curses become blessings and misery becomes joy.

God is producing a crop of new knowledge and healing and holiness in you that he will use as food for others. Maybe you've been hoping that sugar cane will grow from your corn. Surprise! You've got a silo overflowing with corn. This is your gift to a spiritually starving world.

© 2011 by Terry A. Modica
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