into a new, damaging darkness. There is no dialogue anymore; only
accusations!”
How do I, seeing green stems persist among winter thorns, navigate a world where instability and uncertainty sow selfishness, where dialogue is choked by accusations, and where my baptismal priesthood is affirmed even as ordained priesthood is questioned—like some #seed that fell among thorns❓
Gospel
On another occasion, Jesus began to teach by the sea.
A very large crowd gathered around him
so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down.
And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land.
And he taught them at length in parables,
and in the course of his instruction he said to them,
“Hear this! A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and the birds came and ate it up.
Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep.
And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it
and it produced no grain.
And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit.
It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”
He added, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”And when he was alone,
those present along with the Twelve
questioned him about the parables.
He answered them,
“The mystery of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you.
But to those outside everything comes in parables, so thatthey may look and see but not perceive,
and hear and listen but not understand,
in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven.”Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable❓
Then how will you understand any of the parables❓
The sower sows the word.
These are the ones on the path where the word is sown.
As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once
and takes away the word sown in them.
And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who,
when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy.
But they have no roots; they last only for a time.
Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
they quickly fall away.
Those sown among thorns are another sort.
They are the people who hear the word,
but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches,
and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word,
and it bears no fruit.
But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it
and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”
Lectio Divina Reflection on “seed“
The seed of instability and uncertainty seems to have taken deep root in our world today. The global situation, full of conflict and division, fosters a selfishness that spreads like weeds, choking out compassion and dialogue. How can a seed of true charity grow in such hardened soil when every effort at unity is met with resistance❓
The seed of accusation rather than conversation has been sown in the Church as well. In Bishop Zurek’s letter, I was labeled as one of “the few” who spread falsehoods, accused of perpetuating darkness rather than seeking the light. Yet, is it not the refusal to engage in true dialogue that allows these thorns to flourish, wrapping around the truth and suffocating its growth❓
the field of the world and the Church.
The seed of faith, however, remains alive in unexpected places. This morning, Father Tony suggested that my baptismal priesthood holds a credibility stronger than that of the ordained, a statement that startled me. Could it be that the seed planted in me long ago has grown in ways I never anticipated, bearing fruit in ways others might not yet understand❓
Even in the heart of winter, I see the seed of life enduring. At The Glenn, mom and dad’s rose garden stands resilient, its green stems pushing through the cold. Though surrounded by harsh conditions, the potential for beauty remains, waiting for its time to bloom. If roses can persist through winter, can the seeds of hope and renewal survive in the Church and the world❓
If seeds must struggle against the thorns to grow, then how do I continue planting truth, faith, and love in a world that seems determined to smother them—like…
The current global situation engenders a feeling of instability and uncertainty, which in turn becomes “a seedbed for collective selfishness”.[145]
FROM PARAGRAPH 204 of ENCYCLICAL LETTER LAUDATO SI’ OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS ON CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME