I will be the first to admit I don’t have a “green thumb.” My forays into gardening and planting are very limited. Perhaps for this very reason, I am still in awe when some green thing under my care actually flourishes. A few months ago I rescued two leaves which had been unceremoniously cut off from a plant so that it would have more room to grow. I place them in a small dish of water “just to see what would happen.” Maybe I can grow another plant, I thought. Then I promptly left on retreat for two weeks.
Imagine my excitement upon my return when I noticed that each leaf had the tiniest white almost transparent roots at their base! Clearly, I couldn’t take the glory for this gardening miracle. I hadn’t even been home. But there it was. The water almost evaporated in the dish that had become their home, and yet these leaves rescued from the garbage two weeks earlier were now beginning to become new plants in their own right.
“This is how it is with the Kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how.”
The Kingdom of God begins in the quietest of ways, in a word of encouragement, an offer to pick up something at the grocery store for a housebound neighbor, a prayer for the world as it suffers the disharmony caused by war and falsehood, a decision to use the media responsibly. We might feel that in the face of the needs of others, our contribution is small. But isn’t that just the point? It is not our contribution at all, it is the Kingdom of God. We take the next good step in the important and more insignificant moments of our life, and God is the one who gives the growth.
Timothy and Titus were disciples of the great apostle Paul. They learned from him the power of the Word, that it is not our actions and proclamations that make the difference, but the power of God in Christ who does all things. So have great courage that your work in the Lord’s field, whatever it may be, will bear God’s great fruit.
Praying with this Passage of Scripture
Lectio Divina is a way of listening to God as he speaks in his Word. It is a practice of communicating with God through Scripture and attending to God’s presence and what he wishes to tell us. In this slow and prayerful reading of the Word of God, we allow ourselves to be transformed by the Spirit who forms us into the image of Christ. There are four movements in Lectio Divina: Read (lectio), Meditate (meditation), Pray (oratio), Contemplate (contemplation).
Begin by finding a still space to pray. Breathe deeply and become quieter within. Abandon any agenda, worries or thoughts you bring to this prayer and entrust these things to the merciful care of God. Ask for the grace to be receptive to what God will speak to you through this Scripture reading. Grant me, Jesus Divine Master, to be able to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God and your unfathomable riches. Grant that your word penetrate my soul; guide my steps, and brighten my way till the day dawns and darkness dissipates, you who live and reign forever and ever Ame
Read (lectio)
Begin by slowly and meditatively reading your Scripture passage out loud. Listen for a particular word or phrase that speaks to you at this moment and sit with it for a time.
The Parable of the Growing Seed
He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”
With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything. (Mark 4:26-34)
Meditate (meditatio)
Read the same passage a second time. As you re-engage the text, let the word or phrase that stood out become your invitation to speak from your heart with God who wishes to share his heart with you. Allow this word or phrase to wash over you and permeate your thoughts and feelings. You may wish to repeat this phrase quietly and gently for a period of time
Pray (oratio)
Read the text a third time. Listen for what God is saying to you. Speak heart to heart with God. Notice the feelings that this conversation with God raises up within you. Share with God what you notice about your response to this conversation. You may wish to return to repeating the phrase quietly and gently, allowing it to permeate you more and more deeply.
Contemplate (contemplatio)
Read the text a final time. Now be still and rest in God’s embrace. Ask God to give you a gift to take with you from this prayer. You might ask God if he is inviting you to do some action, for instance, make some change in your thoughts, attitudes or reactions, in the way you speak or how you treat others. Thank God for this gift and invitation as you conclude your prayer.
Image: Myriams-Fotos; pixabay.com
Touching the Sunrise 
Thank you Sr Kathryn 🌹🙏🌹
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