Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

The Deacon's Bench

Home
Catholic
Religion News
Homily for June 14, 2015: 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Homily for June 14, 2015: 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Last updated on: June 13, 2015 at 12:28 pm by Deacon Greg Kandra

Homily for June 14, 2015: 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2015-06-13T12:28:02-04:00 Deacon Greg Kandra

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

This Sunday, after the weeks of celebrating Easter, then the big feasts of Pentecost and Trinity Sunday and Corpus Christi, we find ourselves slipping back in Ordinary Time.

“Ordinary” is exactly how you might describe the subject of today’s gospel. Jesus speaks of the power contained in a seed—an object so small, but so significant. It contains tremendous possibility. It can grow into something huge, giving shelter and shade. It might even transform the world. God’s kingdom, Jesus tells us, is like that.

If you want to know how it happens, look around you.

Because we are the ones scattering those seeds. And you never know where or how they will grow.

Jean-François_Millet_(II)_013

Several years ago, a military chaplain, Fr. Jose A. Bautista-Rojas, was assigned to serve in Ramadi, Iraq. It was the height of the Iraq war. A lot of the work involved ministering to medical personal, caring for both soldiers and civilians. Many were not Catholic or even Christian.

One of the people he met was a local Muslim woman. She was understandably suspicious of the Americans. As she got to know them, she was struck by something: the U.S. medical personnel not only treated wounded Americans and Iraqi civilians, but they also cared for enemy combatants, including one who was known to have killed U.S. Marines. The woman was amazed.

One day, she approached Fr. Bautista and spoke five words that would change her life. She said, very simply:

“Tell me more about Jesus.”

And he did. Over several weeks, they spoke. He talked to her about Christ’s life and work. He read her the gospels. He explained the miracles, the parables, the Beatitudes. He shared with her Christ’s message of mercy and salvation and hope. One thing that moved her deeply was the reality of “the two Marys,” and how much Jesus loved them both …his mother, who was sinless, and Mary Magdalene, a great sinner.

After some time quietly listening and absorbing all this, the woman finally had something she needed to tell Fr. Bautista.

“I want,” she said, “to become a Christian.”

She entered the RCIA program the chaplain ran and began preparing for baptism. Her family found out, and disowned her. But she refused to back down. She embraced the faith with courage and with joy.

In the desert of Iraq, in parched sands torn apart by war, a seed had been planted. Love took root. Faith began to grow.

Not with water. But with grace.

It didn’t begin from some grand, miraculous act. She wasn’t overwhelmed by the liturgy, or inspired by preaching or dazzled by some truth that suddenly pierced the darkness.

She was moved simply by compassion—care offered to an enemy.

As the pagans said in the first century: “See how these Christians love one another.”

See how we even love our enemies.

And so it begins. These are the seeds that have fostered towering faith.

These are the seeds that can change a heart, and stir the soul. They can inspire those who are hungry for hope to turn to us and say:

“Tell me more about Jesus.”

Are we up to the task?

Are we prepared to plant those kinds of seeds into the world?

Are we the kinds of people who inspire others to say, “See how these Christians love one another?”

Or are we something else? Do we sing God’s name with joy on Sunday, and then curse it on Monday?

As the old song puts it: will they know we are Christians by our love, by our love?

What kinds of seeds are we scattering in the world?

If you look over by the baptismal font, you’ll see a stained glass window depicting St. Bernard of Clairvaux, great Cistercian monk and mystic. I imagine the founders of this parish added him here for two reasons: St. Bernard had a great devotion to Mary, and he was also a great builder of churches.

In the 12tth century, Bernard founded a Cistercian abbey in France. From just a few monks, it grew to hold hundreds—a phenomenon that had a powerful effect on Western monasticism. It eventually became too small and Bernard sent out monks to start new abbeys around the country.

Like Jesus, St. Bernard marveled at God’s ability to grow his kingdom.

He once preached:

“Our works do not pass away, as they seem to do. Rather, they are scattered like seeds of eternity. The fool will be astonished when he sees a great harvest shooting up from a little seed – good or bad harvest, according to the differing quality of the sowing.”

What kind of harvest are we preparing? What kinds of seeds are we sowing?

This gospel reminds us that God’s work happens in remarkable and unexpected ways. So: Give the world a garden of explosive beauty. Plant what will last. Nurture what will grow.

Scatter seeds of eternity.

Christ did that. Can we do any less?

This is our call. Every word we speak, every choice we make, every gesture we offer is one more seed, one more way of spreading the gospel.

As summer approaches, so does the time when gardens grow. In the church calendar, we are stepping back into Ordinary Time – but by God’s grace, we can make it extraordinary.

Who knows what harvest we might yield?

Who knows when our lives might compel someone to turn to us and say:

“Tell me more about Jesus.”

Homilies

Previous Post

June 13, 2015

New York Times profiles Fr. C. John McCloskey III, “Opus Dei priest with a magnetic touch”

Next Post

June 13, 2015 Ordination update: 19 new deacons for Los Angeles

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category "Mad Men" 9/11 advent All Things New Amazing video amazing videos amazon america Anglicans Anti-Catholicism art ascension thursday ash wednesday Atheists baltimore Bible Bishops Blogging bonnie engstrom Books bridgeport Brooklyn Chaplains children christian art christmas Church Churches CNEWA Converts criticism Deacons Death Penalty easter eastern christian Eastern Christians Ecumenism education Education Eucharist Europe euthanasia Evangelization Exorcism Family Feasts Gay rights Good Friday Great links Great Moments in Journalism Hanging with the saints heather renshaw Hispanic Catholics Hispanics History homelies Homilies Humor Hymn of the Week Immigration indianapolis Inspiration Interfaith news ireland Jesus Jews Journalism Judaism lent Liturgy logos Marriage Mary Media Medical news Mental health Middle East Monks Movies Music Muslims My world and welcome to it New Evangelization new york News Nuns Parenting Parish life peoria Persecution Politics politics Pope pope francis pope john paul Prayer Preaching Priests Pro-life Quote of the day radio rebecca frech ripp Ripped from the headlines rippred from the headlines Sacraments saints Scripture sex abuse Sex abuse crisis SEX ABUSE CRISIS TAGGED WITH: SEX ABUSE CRISIS The people in the pews the visitation project theatre This & that Thomas Merton Trappists TV Uncategorized uncategorized VATICAN Vatican vocation Vocations Voices & Views Women Worth a thousand words Writing Year of Faith year of mercy young people

Select a Month December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which Christian observance celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Ascension Epiphany Pentecost Ash Wednesday

Books by This Author Books by Deacon Greg Kandra

See All Titles »