Planting the Seeds of Faith

Here's a fresh look at the meaning of summer vacation, compliments of Diane Walters, diocesan curriculum & instruction director.

With the school year ending and the warm weather finally approaching us, I am reminded of a summer hobby that many enjoy: gardening. It makes me recall the parable Jesus shared about sowing seeds:

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.
(Matthew 13:1-9)

While the literal accomplishment of planting a seed and harvesting it is one of God’s many miracles, the message in this parable holds a deeper meaning that can be applied to our lives.

Jesus wants us to be proud of our Catholic faith and embrace it by planting the Word of God and God’s promises in our own garden of life. This can include our role as students, parents, members of a parish or community. When seeds of faith are planted and have time to grow, they produce a bountiful crop. That crop, in turn, produces more seeds, which can be passed along to others. This is our call to be evangelizers, to tell others about how welcoming Jesus into their lives and having a relationship with Him can change their lives forever.

An experienced gardener, however, knows that abundant growth is dependent on the quality of the soil, weather, weed control, and fertilizer all working together. Therefore, we must be sure to provide good soil to enrich our faith development. Keeping an open mind and heart provides rich soil in our lives.

By reading Scripture, praying and experiencing the sacraments, we allow our faith to take root, rather than remaining on the surface or shallow. This is a dangerous place to be in the world because having a shallow faith does not equip us with the necessary tools and confidence needed to respond when our Catholic faith is challenged.

Similarly, many individuals are faced with unexpected challenges and roadblocks on their faith journey. These “weeds” appear in our hectic world and often prevent us from letting God into our lives or nurturing each other. We need to cultivate our soil through prayer, quiet moments for reflection and control the “weeds” that prevent us from producing fruit.

The many blessings, successes, and accomplishments achieved throughout the year, reflect the seeds which have produced much fruit. These can be in the form of spiritual, academic, athletic or community achievements. We must understand that the seed we sow often takes time, patience, nourishment and the interaction of God’s love to produce faith-filled individuals. Unlike the farmer who harvests a crop annually, we may not see the fruits of our efforts for years. In the end, though, the time and dedication will be worth the wait. When we sow the seeds of life, with God’s help our harvest will be plentiful.