In the Gospel today, Jesus explains his parable to those who have had eyes to see and ears to hear. They have encountered Jesus, and their heart, mind and soul is open to know him more. If you are reading this blog, then you are like many believers. Jesus has taken root in you, your faith has not been stolen away. You have resisted a hyper sense of cynicism, scientism, secularism, or relativism. You have also endured some times of stress and trial and your faith has not diminished but endured. Most of us would fall into the third category: “The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit” (Mt 13:22).
We have accepted Jesus in our life, we are maturing and growing in our faith, but it is limited because we may look to the world and riches to be our security and support. As Pope Francis questioned in his apostolic exhortation, The Joy of the Gospel: “How can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses two points? This is a case of exclusion. Can we continue to stand by when food is thrown away while people are starving? This is a case of inequality” (53). The top voting issue in the last election was concern about the economy. If we are placing our hope and focus in political and economic stability we are going to be anxious and stressed. Our faith is going to be choked, and worse our politics will be shaping the Gospel instead of the Gospel shaping our politics.
Even if we do put God first above all else and seek to strive to live a life of faith, anxiety arises as we seek to live out our faith. Taking the risk to be who God is calling us to be in a world where: “The process of secularization tends to reduce the faith and the Church to the sphere of the private and personal” (Francis, 64), is a challenge.
I understand that anxiety. I have wrestled with it all my life. But the Holy Spirit, family and friends, continue to provide support and encouragement and I continue to move forward despite the fear and anxiety that arises at times. Making time daily to enter into reading the Word, making the effort and seeking resources to better understand his word, praying and meditating to hear his word and guidance, and sharing with others the trials and successes of my journey, has made a tremendous difference. Has the fear gone away? Absolutely not. In fact, yesterday I was sharing a homily at our daily Mass at St Peter, sharing the same message I posted yesterday, yet, my heart was pounding and my leg shaking. But I was not paralyzed, I was able to share the message God asked me to share. That is the difference.
We need to trust in Jesus’ invitation. He is calling all of us to deepen our relationship with him and to invite others to do the same. The road ahead, and the trials we will face will not be easy. But as we face them, with Jesus and one another, we become stronger. We begin to bear fruit when we allow Jesus to be our constant source, he is the vine and we are the branches. Sustained by his power we can then act with courage and put into practice what we learn. When we are choked by anxiety and fear we also need to remember that we are not alone and we need to reach out for help to cut away those weeds that attempt to choke us. In all these ways, our soil becomes richer, our life view becomes more human, our hearts, minds, and souls become more open to building a relationship of communion with our loving God and Father and each other.
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Link for Mass readings for today, Friday, July 28, 2017 http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/072817.cfm
Pope Francis. Joy of the Gospel. Link:
Spiritual Stepping Stones 