Fifteenth Sunday of Ordinary time
In today’s Gospel, we hear the parable of the sower, and one verse caught my attention, “The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word, and it bears no fruit.”
If we look at the pandemic and civil unrest going on around us, we ourselves can be caught up in the chaos. The thorns in our life become so sharp that they puncture our souls. And just like that, we uproot ourselves from the rich soil of heaven and plant ourselves into the thorn bush. Here we can become so occupied with the things of this earth, that we start to choke and lose sight of what is truly important.
In the second reading today, we hear St. Paul tell the Romans, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us. For creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of God.”
So here is my advice for you: take a deep breath and relax. Turn off the TV, computer, or phone and listen to what is happening around you. Hear that silence? What is God telling you?
I know I can hear God saying, “Trust in me, listen in this time silence. I love you, and I won’t let anything happen, you only have to trust.” I hope God is saying the same thing to you too! Jesus loves you very much and he doesn’t want to see you fall to the false ideology that the world is offering you.
St. Maximilian Kolbe once said, “What sort of happiness does [God] desire? A happiness, it would seem, that is beyond limits that are human, whether in intensity, magnitude or permanence. Such happiness is God himself, alone, the infinite source of all happiness, to whatever extent it is reflected in creatures.”
God loves you and wants to see you happy. Throw yourself, through our Immaculate Mother, into his loving embrace. Let God take care of the rest.
Reflection by Br. Maximilian Burkhart, OSB
Posted in Articles for Lent, Daily Reflections, Lenten Resources