RBWords

     This weekend I begin a parish mission at St. Ann Parish in Bartlett, TN, a suburb of Memphis, TN.  I could not help but smile at the timing of the gospel scripture for today because my itinerant ministry makes me feel a bit like the character from American legend, Johnny Appleseed, who roamed the country planting apple trees.  The parable of the seed and the sower is one of the few that Jesus actually explains in detail to the disciples.  However, the image is pretty clear.  The disciples have to learn that not all their grand efforts to preach the word and bear witness will bear fruit.  The reasons are not always clear and, as the parable says, those reasons can be many!  Some reject it out of hand.  Some accept it but cannot follow through due to weakness.  Some simply aren't ready for it.  But some, like the quote above bear fruit through perseverance.  They are the ones who hear and act.

 

     Whether it be a parish mission or retreat or novena or whatever preaching event, I am aware that there will likely be folks in all those categories in the congregation.  But the parable is not directed just to full time preachers like myself.  It is directed to all disciples who may get discouraged by the lack of results from bearing witness to faith.  I know that because of my brief stay at parishes or retreat houses, I may never get to experience the results of my preaching.  I still have to do it because that is what I have been called to do.  By baptism we are all called to pick up a bag of seed and head for the fields.  The Lord will take care of providing the harvest.  AMEN