Daily Gospel Reflection
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July 20, 2022
On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.
Such large crowds gathered around him
that he got into a boat and sat down,
and the whole crowd stood along the shore.
And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:
“A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and birds came and ate it up.
Some 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.
But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit,
a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
I’ll be the first to admit that patience is not my dominant emotion when faced with something I feel I can’t earn or achieve quickly. In a world where rapid results dominate every aspect of our lives, sowing in patience is not something we often do or do very well.
Yet, in the experiences where I have waited well, I have reaped a hundredfold harvest of God’s providence and provision. I remember the weeks of uncertainty when my Notre Dame admissions letter stalled or the long months of geographical separation from my best friend and future husband. Each was difficult to endure; each brought immeasurable joy. I just had to wait.
I often have to remind myself that patience is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, that we cannot bear fruit without first sowing the seeds. We cannot experience the bountiful harvest God has for us if we do not let God bear fruit from our waiting.
I’m finding that this life with God is about playing the long game and trusting that faithfulness to God’s call bears fruitfulness in our lives, even if we do not see it this side of heaven. Playing the long game is about keeping the end before our eyes, one eye on heaven and one on earth.
To paraphrase Augustine, sometimes God delays in giving us what we want because God wants our hearts to expand. Persistence and patience are both vital spiritual ingredients in the sowing of our prayers, and so it is our task to trust that with every seed planted, we are prepared for an eternal harvest.
Because that is the hope and promise of salvation — to sit at the table in the kingdom of God, reaping and receiving every good gift from our Father.
Prayer
Lord God, we give thanks to all who planted and toiled in the fields to produce the food that will nourish us this day. Help us similarly to plant and sow seeds of compassion, love and forgiveness to all whom we encounter this day. Be with us Lord as we sow these seeds of Your goodness, for you are our One God, forever and ever. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Joseph of Barsabbas is one of those characters in history who are marginally famous for what could have been. Another roll of the dice and he would have been one of the Twelve disciples.
He appears only briefly in Scripture. After betraying Jesus to his passion, Judas Iscariot committed suicide, and the apostles gathered to choose a replacement. Two men were recommended from among Jesus’ wider circle of 72 followers—Joseph and Matthias—and lots were cast and fell to Matthias, who joined the eleven.
Joseph is also known as Joseph the Just, or Justus, and after Pentecost went out into the world to share the good news of Jesus’ resurrection. Some accounts have him being named bishop, and others state that he worked miracles, including the drinking of poison without being harmed (cf Mark 16:18).
St. Joseph of Barsabbas, the just one who lost a place among the 12 apostles to a game of chance—pray for us!