As a child, I watched my father plant his annual vegetable garden in our backyard in urban north St. Louis. It wasn’t a big garden (perhaps 15×30 feet), but he went about the whole thing methodically and with a sense of hope for what the garden would bring. For that’s what planting a garden is all about – it’s about hope and faith, about knowing that when we plant a seed or put a small plant in the ground it will eventually become so much more.
I’ve never been much of a gardener, although something within me desperately wants to be. But about a month ago I planted a tomato plant and some herbs (basil and oregano) in containers on our back deck, the place we most like to spend time during the summer. And as I planted and watered, I realized that what I was most looking forward to was the feast – I looked ahead to that day when I would turn the basil into pesto, make one of my favorite pasta dishes, and then cut open a beautiful ripe tomato and garnish it with some fresh oregano. I saw beyond the plants to a table surrounded by friends savoring the meal. That’s the beauty of growing your own food, even on such a small scale. What we plant, we get to enjoy and share.
And so it is with all good things we bring into our lives. We get to choose these things. We decide what goes in our favorite places and how much time we will give them. But it’s our responsibility to choose well, to select things that bring long-term joy, that do no harm, that create life and shared experiences with others. On numerous occasions in the Gospels, Jesus uses the metaphor of the seed to remind us of all that is good and all that comes from him. The kingdom of God — which lives in our hearts right now and extends into our eternal future — is a seed that must be planted and cared for. It is the word of God and the body of Christ in all its forms (scripture, family, community, Eucharist) that lives and grows around us, moving us always toward a feast that we cannot quite imagine and yet continue to hope and long for.
Ask yourself in silence: What am I planting in my life that will lead to a feast?
16 comments On Today’s Word: Plant
Your post spoke to me this morning. “which lives in our hearts right now and extends into our eternal future…must be…cared for.” Thanks Steve
Hi Steve,
It’s been some time since my last comments on your postings, . . . and ‘Plant’, ‘planting’, ‘choices’ are words that mean much to me… so here I am again.
It is amazing to watch plants grow, and I have to thank my teacher in primary school who asked us to plant red and green beans on moistened cotton-wool in a glass jar…and to watch in amazement as the cotyledons rise up from the roots, and green leaves appearing soon after.
It sure made understanding Jesus’ metaphor of the seed…and the purpose of His messages..so much easier to assimilate, many decades later!
Yes I hope and trust that i will make the right choices in Christ’s invitation to live life to the full…the one which He came to give.
Warm regards,
Anthony.
Thanks, Anthony. So good to hear from you. I’ve been a bit lazy with my blog but hope to get back on track…one of the many good things in my life that need to be cultivated…
Steve
Thanks, Jeff. Hope you have a great day.
Steve
Thanks for those words Steve. All that any of us can hope and pray for is that we’ve planted the seeds and nurtured them properly that will allow our children, grandchildren and even our friends to grow and become good citizens and stewards in everything they do. If we’ve done our jobs right, it will be an example for those who follow us about how to plant and nurture their own seeds for a bright future.
I hope you are well–haven’t heard from you in a while. My beloved lifetime partner of over 58 yrs, Joseph died of Multiple Myeloma on April 4th 2014. Please remember to pray for his soul and my emptiness. Stay well Steve.
Dear Steve,
Thanks for your wonderful posting today!!Really enjoyed it.And,hope that you have a very Happy Father’s Day!
Peace and blessings,
Karen
Thanks, Karen. All the best to you and your family.
Steve
Thanks, Dotty. You and Joseph are in my prayers today…
Steve
Agreed, Jim. Hope you had a great Father’s Day.
Steve
Dear Steve,
It’s been ages since last I wrote but before anything else let me wish you a belated ‘HAPPY FATHER’S DAY’
I am very much a flower person (perhaps dictated by my very name?) and I remember the painstaking steps I took germinating petunia seeds, transplanting the seedlings at their different stages of growth and then ultimately to savour with immense joy and satisfaction, the luscious and prolific blooms in their myriad colours! I recall too, how my heart swelled with pride watching the gentle blooms ‘dancing’ in the breeze from my planting boxes. Aaah……such simple but pleasurable moments.
Indeed, it is so vital to pick the kind of seeds we plant in our lives, to make the right choices and to live our transient lives well in anticipation of the trip to the eternal garden.
GOD bless you and yours, Steve.
Warm regards,
Lily Lee
Thank you, Lily. What a beautiful reflection on your own garden. So good to hear from you…
Steve
As always your words stir up my thoughts! . . . . ahh the choices we make, at times not even considering the responsibility we have to chose well, to not be influenced by someone else’s direction . . .
Your words about choosing those things that bring, joy and harmony in the long term is thought provoking to me. How I can get caught up in what needs to be done immediately without regard to the effect those choices have on my life . . my spirit . . . tomorrow.
So wonderful to hear from you!! Have missed your inspiring voice! Happy Fathers’ Day!
God bless,
Kathleen
Thanks, Kathleen. It’s good to be back and hope I can pick up the pace a little…
Steve
Always nice to read my friend’s prose. Hope you had a great Father’s Day.
Love,
Jan
Thank you, Jan. I had a great day…