Praise God. Praise be to Jesus Christ.
We can answer those questions
because God is not far off and distant. He is always drawing near to us in
every moment of life. God reveals and teaches us His truth by everyday life.
The everyday examples of God’s presence
in this world could not be contained in all the books of the world. All the
moments God has used to touch the hearts of people just today, if written down,
would overwhelm the largest library.
We have the Bible. The Spirit of
God in the sacred authors used poems, songs, proverbs, and words of wisdom to
teach us God’s truth. Holy Scripture tells us God has always reached out to individuals,
peoples, and nations in the stories and writings of those who lived the
experiences.
In those moments in time, God planted the seed of his presence and it
grew.
He planted a seed in Ezekiel. Ezekiel
prophesied with beautiful words of poetry and allegory that used the familiar
of everyday life to reveal the truth of God. The ability to know God is not special
wisdom or knowledge but from faith. Truth is everyone can know God.
Jesus used parables relatable to everyday
life to reveal the Kingdom of God – fishers of men, sowers of grain, and
mustard seeds. His life, his passion, his love planted a seed in the hearts of those
who heard him. The seed was to grow the Kingdom of God.
St. Paul and the writers of scripture
in the New Testament nourished the seed Jesus planted. And, the kingdom of God grew
in them and in the world. Their preaching, writings, and the examples of their
life and love of Christ became seeds God used to grow his Kingdom. Seeds still planted
today.
Friends, do you remember when the seed of the Kingdom was planted in you? Baptism most of us were too young to remember.
The example of your parents, your catechism, maybe a very holy and loving
person that was part of your life. Maybe it was at your confirmation or your
marriage or the birth of a child.
Like many people, different
moments in your life may have planted seeds to help you grow into who you are
today, a part of the Kingdom of God.
One the seeds planted in me came
from a very unusably place and moment in my life. It was my freshman year in
college and I was 18 years old. It was my first time away from home on my own. I
was a football player, the son of a preacher let loose in the world. I was very
guilty of sin.
One of my classes was Geology 101. My friends called the class “Rocks for Jocks.” The lecture began with Earth’s history based on the study of the planet's rock layers. The professor said, “The earth is approximately 4.5 billion years old.”
A student spoke in protest, “My daddy is a minister and he told me that
what you are teaching is evil and against God’s word. The Bible tells us God
created the earth 5000 years ago. You do not believe the word of God. You do
not believe in God.”
To the best of my memory, the
professor sighed and spoke. “I am a scientist and a Christian. Those two do not
conflict. In fact, when I study the great mystery of God’s creation in geology,
fossils, and all that has passed in this universe, to me, it proves there is a
God. For many people of science, reason and study of science proves there is
something more than us. I believe that is God.”
I still remember that moment in
time from 45 years ago. A little seed planted in my heart. I though was funny then. As I remember now, I realize
that moment in my life has become part of my belief, faith, and understanding
of God. It has grown from a tiny seed planted in that moment to the Kingdom of
God that is within me.
Jesus is still speaking to us in
parables experienced in the life we live. From the gospel, Jesus spoke the word to the people, as they were able to understand, in
parables. Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own he
explained everything in private
The last part is important for us
- Jesus explained everything to them in
private. Open your heart to Jesus. Pray
with scripture. Pray over your everyday life, so to see God reaching out to you. Pray and open yourself to the moment the seeds
of the Kingdom are given to you.
In this everyday life, we walk in
faith. We believe by faith. By our faith, the Kingdom of God is in us. If that
is your faith, are you planting that seed in others? This story I shared, tells
the importance of how we live our lives and love others. That professor could
have humiliated the student, sent them off, and ignored them. Instead, he used
the moment to share his faith; planting a seed for the Kingdom of God. It was
planted in me.
If we aspire to please God, live life by the greatest
commandment. Love God with all you have. Love God in every moment. Be
courageous. Witness God and the gospel of Christ in every breath. Whether alone
or with friends, family, coworkers, and strangers use every moment as a seed to
plant the Kingdom of God.
Yet, be wary for we are a sinful
people. Every sin is a moment that lives on in others and can grow in us. Sin
is the moment of pulling away from God. A moment that attacks the Kingdom of
God.
St Paul writes, “One day we must
all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, each will receive recompense
for all those moments in life, whether good or evil.”
In every moment of life, strive
to be good, strive to be holy and plant the seed of the Kingdom of God by the
way your life your life and love one another. Praise God. Praise be Jesus Christ forever and ever. Amen.
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