Seeds in the Rocks - Homily 11th Sun OTB 6/15/24

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/061624.cfm

Praise God. Praise be to Jesus Christ forever and ever. Amen

Is God great! The way God reveals and teaches us truth by everyday life. Even through the Bible, God uses poems, songs, proverbs, and words of wisdom to teach us His truth. 

For our faith, our religion, our God is not something for those with special wisdom or knowledge. God is not far off and distant. He is always drawing near to us in every moment of life. 

Holy Scripture tells us of God reaching out to touch lives of individuals, peoples, and nations through the stories and writings of those who lived the experiences. In those moments in time, God planted the seed of his presence in them and it grew. 

He planted a seed in Ezekiel. Ezekiel prophesied with beautiful words of poetry and allegory revealing the truth of God.   

Jesus used parables relatable to everyday life to reveal the Kingdom of God. He used his life, his passion, his love planting the seed in the hearts of many 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 in them. And, the kingdom of God grew in them and in the world. Their preaching, their writings, and the examples of their life and love became new seeds God uses to grow his Kingdom.  

The seeds they generated by their lives are still being planted today.

Friends, do you remember when that seed was planted in you? Baptism, most of us were too young to remember. The example of your parents, your catechism, maybe it was planted by holy and loving person that became part of your life. It could have been at your confirmation or even your marriage. 

Like many people, there may have been many different moments in your life that seeds were planted to help you. Praise God those seeds took root. They grew you into who you are today, a member of the Kingdom of God. 

One the seeds planted in me came from a very unusual place and moment in my life. My freshman year in college. I was 18 years old. It was my first time away from home on my own. I was a football player. I was the son of a preacher man let loose by the world. I was living a life very guilty of sin.

Every moment of sin grows in us. It pulls us away from God and attacks the Kingdom of God in us. 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.

Luckily, one of my classes was Geology 101. It was referred to as “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 protested, “My daddy is a minister and he told me that what you are preaching is against God’s word. My daddy said the Bible tells us God created the earth 5000 years ago. You do not believe the word of God.”

The professor sighed and replied, “I am a scientist and a Christian. My beliefs and what I teach do not conflict. I study the great mystery that is God’s creation. Geology, fossils, and all the time that has passed in this universe proves there is a God. For many people of science, reason in the 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 that I thought was funny then. I remember it now and realized that moment has become part of my belief, faith, and understanding of God. It has grown from a tiny seed planted in faith by a geology teacher to become part of my understanding of the Kingdom of God within me.

Jesus spoke 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 - Jesus explained everything to them in private. Friends, pray with scripture. Pray with your experience of everyday life so that you may see God reaching out to you and you can open yourself to that moment when the seeds of the Kingdom are planted in you.  

This story I shared, tells the importance of how the example of our lives will touch others. That professor could have humiliated the student, sent them off, and ignored them. Instead, he used that 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. Witness God and the gospel of Christ in every breath. In joy and love share these things with friends, family, coworkers, or strangers happened upon, as seeds to plant for the kingdom of God. 

In this life, we walk in faith. We have the Kingdom of God in us. In every moment, strive to be good, strive to be holy and plant the seed of the Kingdom of God by the way you live your life and love one another.  

Praise God.Praise be to Jesus Christ forever and ever. Amen.