“Seeds” by Kristen Gawlik, Fiat Ventures
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
When I was a kid, I had a bunch of friends that were really good at one thing. Not only were they really good at it, but they also dedicated the majority of their time to that one thing. It was a rare occasion for my one friend to not smell like chlorine at any given moment because she was probably at swim practice at least once that day. One of my other friends had artistic skills that were years ahead of the rest of us and could make even her sidewalk chalk look like a masterpiece.
I was a little different. I didn’t just like to do one thing, I liked to do a lot of things. I wanted to try every sport and go to multiple music lessons. There wasn’t anything wrong with this—it was actually a great way to make a lot of friends—that is, until I got bored. The day would finally come with many of my extracurricular activities where I was really no longer interested in it or wanted to try yet another new thing in place of something I was already doing. My parents would try everything to convince me to stick with what I was already involved in, but let’s just say I didn’t wait to become stubborn until my adult life.
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the sower who planted seeds. Some seeds were planted in the fertile ground while other seeds landed in areas where they would not be able to grow to their fullest or even grow at all.
Now being raised in New Jersey which is known as “the Garden State,” you might think I would know a thing or two about gardening or planting. But this wasn’t the case. While my thumbs are far from green, I think my jack-of-all-trades childhood speaks to what Jesus is getting at here. I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say that, in all my activities as a kid, I was like the seeds spread on either the path, in shallow soil, or among the thorns. Meanwhile, my friends who dedicated themselves to their activities were more like the seeds planted in rich soil.
In our faith, Jesus calls us to be rooted in Him. In order for strong roots to grow, there’s a lot that needs to happen. When I was a kid, I would throw in the towel on many of my sports and activities as soon as my feelings were no longer in it. I doubt that my friends who went on to be college-level athletes or professional musicians always felt like practicing for hours each day, but they were committed and knew their dedication and self-discipline would pay off. In a similar way, commitment, especially when it’s hard, is how we become rooted in our faith. Sometimes it means going to Mass on Sunday morning even though we would rather sleep in. Sometimes it means making the right decision instead of the one that will make us popular. Sometimes it means forgiving someone who really hurt us. Sometimes it means choosing to trust and have faith instead of worrying about the future.
Whatever the circumstance, when we choose to live for Jesus or to live like Jesus, we are allowing ourselves to become more and more rooted in His rich soil. Unfortunately, we live in a world that often makes it difficult to find rich soil to be planted in, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible! While it may not always be easy to choose to be planted in the rich soil, Jesus wants to help us. He does this through prayer, through the Sacraments, through the Blessed Mother, and through solid friends who help us grow in our faith. The more we choose to be planted in His rich soil, the deeper our roots will be at the times we need our faith the most.
No matter our favorite sports or activities, whether or not we become Division I athletes or concert pianists, may we all have the dedication and commitment to Christ in order to be His disciples that show His love to everyone we meet. There’s no better place to be planted.