I learned a lot about the Kingdom of God, as Jesus describes it, growing up on a farm. I once heard a neighbor farmer say: “I don’t know how anyone can farm without faith in God. Anybody who puts seeds in the dirt and expects to make a living from that either has a lot of faith in God, or he is crazy. But that is what farmers do.”
Jesus lived and worked in an agrarian society, long before tractors, combines, pesticides, fertilizer and irrigation systems. Farm life was especially hard back then, as land had to be plowed with a mule and most of the work in the hot sun was done by hand. Land in Palestine was dry and often the lack of rain caused the crops to fail. Yet most people tried to eke out a living from the land, trusting in God for the fruit!
Jesus points out today that you can’t “see” a seed grow. It just happens under the ground. He compares this with grace. God’s grace is constantly pouring out upon us from the heart of God, though we cannot see it and are often not even aware of it. Yet that grace is sustaining us and changing us; giving us the perseverance to keep going when life is hard. Eventually, we see the good fruits of Christianity blossoming; faith, hope, love, kindness, generosity, selflessness, serving others, worshiping God at Mass…just a general goodness in people. Jesus makes people good! I like to say, “Jesus plus anything is a lot better than it was before!”
“The only mistake we ever make is taking our eyes off of Jesus” says St. Teresa of Avila. Even when we cannot “see” what he is doing through grace, we will one day see the fruit.
Congratulations to Kevin Braski and Jimek Janaszek who were ordained transitional deacons this Saturday up at St. Joseph’s Church in Macon. Deacon Kevin will be around St. Michael’s for another week or so, but you may not see him on weekends. He will be assigned for diaconal ministry to Most Holy Trinity in Augusta and Deacon Jimek to St. Anne’s in Richmond Hill. Please remember these men in your prayers as they begin their final year of studies before becoming priests!