God Makes us Grow

06-13-2021Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

St. Paul says we walk by faith, not by sight. Meaning, for Christians, we have our faith and have total confidence in our Lord. We know the Lord is with us. He is on our side, working for our good. St. Paul, a man of faith himself, believes with confidence because he trusts in the Lord. The reason why we grow anxious, is because fear dominates us and we are afraid of losing control over things in our life. That is like walking by sight and not by faith.

The Gospel today contains two parables teaching us how to conquer this weakness. First, it is God who is responsible for the seed to sprout and grow. It has an inner dynamism to grow even without any direct intervention of the Sower. More than the seed, the Kingdom of God has the inner power to develop. In the evening, while the farmer is asleep, it breaks from its shell and starts the silent process of growing. The farmer does not have any power over the seed’s growth. It does not depend on his knowledge and skills in farming. We are like farmers who sow the seed and harvest the fruits, but the rest we entrust to God. We remember that the Kingdom grows in secret. Our role is not to know the growth process but to learn how to cooperate effectively with God in the building of His Kingdom.

We keep learning and trusting God. God makes us grow. The reading of Scriptures, studying our faith, knowing the life of the Saints, and celebrating the Sacraments all help for that inner growth to happen. The greater the participation of faith formation we exposed ourselves to, the bigger the opportunity for growth. We may think that the part we play is small, but in time, like the mustard seed, we grow to be the tallest scrub. Every farmer knows the yield is not measured or valued by the size of the seed. Sowing seeds can make a difference in the end. Jesus sowed seeds in the heart of the Apostles, and now it has grown to be the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed helps us realize the importance of even the tiniest contribution or little things when they are for the service of the Kingdom of God. Jesus uses the smallest of seeds to help us see that in the Kingdom, God’s ways are not our ways! Great things happen when He uses His unlimited power but prefers to use the little ones or insignificant instruments to carry His Divine Plan. In the modern world, instant is the standard, but God often chooses the slow but sure process that brings about great things or transformation over time. God makes things grow.

When we don’t trust God, we tend to take control of the process, thereby suffocating the growth of the Kingdom of God. A good example is when parents, trying to be responsible, begin to act as if they are the sole ones responsible for everything and God is responsible for nothing. Thus, they think that they must make all things perfect for their children. The negative effect of this is it fosters fear for parents that everything they do will not be enough not trusting God enough.

In the end, the parable tells us to keep sowing the seed and to go to bed and get up day after day in total confidence that God is in control, He is in charge, He makes things grow. In His way, God will bring growth in His Kingdom, by His power, and in His Time. With God, let us all walk by faith, not by sight.