Grow!

Sammey Chisholm, Fiat Ventures

Eleventh Sunday of Ordinary Time

Growing up, I spent a lot of time in the garden with my Nana. I remember loving that time together, whether picking the fresh produce or pulling the unwanted weeds. To this day, it is one of my favorite things to do. No matter how much time we spent there, I struggled to learn all of the names of the plants and the specific care each needed. 

I knew this was important to be aware of, to care properly for our harvest, but could not get the hang of it. I often think back to these hours spent in the garden when I hear parables about seeds and vines. Just like gardening though, sometimes they don’t click for me right away. 

But the thing about gardening is that you don’t have to have it all figured out. Sure, you need to know the basics like plants need sunlight and water, but even in the Gospel this week, Jesus talks about a man who scatters seed and says it will sprout and grow and the man knows not how. It’s really God who causes the growth; literally and figuratively.

In the First Reading from the book of Ezekiel, we hear about the growth of a majestic tree. The Lord takes a sprout from a lowly tree, plants it on the mountaintop, and wills it to grow and shelter birds of all kinds. In the Gospel, Jesus goes on to talk about the mustard seed, and how it’s among the smallest of seeds but it produces one of the largest plants.

In the Psalm, we hear more about what can happen when God is involved in the growth. Plants that are planted in the house of the Lord can bear fruit even in old age. They can flourish and be vigorous and sturdy. And of course, we’re not just talking about plants here, God does the same for us in our lives of faith. Our job is to make sure that we are good soil, as Jesus talks about in other parables about seeds. It’s okay if everything doesn’t click for us right away; if we don’t understand every parable, if we can’t give a good explanation for everything we believe as Catholic Christians; but that’s why we continue to grow! We keep praying, serving, going to Mass, plugging into our Christian community, and if we do these things, God will cause the growth in us just as the plants. 

Nowadays, I find myself returning more and more to the messages of growth found in Scripture. Maybe this stems from my love of gardening, or my desire to connect deeper with these parables, but either way, they strike me again and again. Whether it be one of prosperity despite hardship, advancement in the most unlikely of circumstances, or even just nurture at all costs, I find these to be encouraging in all seasons of our lives. As our Lord “lifts high the lowly tree, and makes the withered tree bloom,” so too does he uplift us and enkindle our hearts, allowing us to blossom even out of rocky soil.