Fr. Bob's Reflection for the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Guest Post

A Chicago novelist, John Powers, once wrote a book with the unusual title, “The Unoriginal Sinner and the Ice Cream God.” In the novel, a young man named Tim Conroy struggles with the challenge of growing up and living his faith. At one point, Tim says to a friend, “I come from a family of practicing Catholics. But the more I practice, the worse I get.” Many of us can relate to that feeling. Perhaps we are not getting worse, but we sometimes wonder why we are not growing more than we are. Think about it: by the time most Catholics reach the age of 25, we have heard Scripture proclaimed and explained thousands of times. We have attended Mass, listened to homilies, prayed prayers, and received the sacraments. So why do we still struggle so much? The answer may be found in today’s Gospel and the parable of the sower. The farmer is Jesus. The seed is the Word of God. The different kinds of soil represent the hearts of those who hear that Word. What is striking is that only one group rejects the seed immediately. In the other cases, the seed is received with joy. The problem is not hearing God’s Word. The problem is allowing it to take root deeply enough to change us. There are three steps to responding to God’s Word. First, we must hear it. That means listening attentively to Scripture when it is proclaimed and explained. Second, we must treasure it. Take time to reflect on it, allowing it to move from your ears into your hearts. Ask yourselves: “What is God saying to me through this passage?” Third, we must put it into practice. Faith cannot remain only an idea or a feeling. It must shape the way we live, the way we speak, the way we forgive and the way we love. A story about a man named Bill illustrates this beautifully. Bill was a contractor whose life slowly unraveled under pressure and addiction. Alcohol consumed him. His family broke apart, and eventually his business collapsed. One day, while walking down the street, Bill noticed a bent, rusty nail lying on the ground. As he picked it up, he thought to himself, “That nail is just like me – bent out of shape, rusted over and thrown away.” When he got home, he hammered the nail straight. Then he sanded away the rust until it looked new again. Holding it beside a brand-new nail, he could hardly tell the difference. At that moment, something stirred within him. If a bent nail could be restored, perhaps his life could be restored, too. That realization changed him. Slowly and painfully, Bill began rebuilding his life. He sought help, reunited with his family and eventually returned to work. Bill’s story mirrors the three steps of discipleship. First, he recognized himself in the nail. Second, he reflected on what restoration could mean. Finally, he acted. He changed his life. That is exactly what Jesus asks of us in today’s Gospel – not simply to hear the Word, but to let it change us. The seed of God’s Word is constantly being planted in our hearts. The question is whether we will allow it to bear fruit. If we sometimes feel like Tim Conroy and wonder why we are not better disciples, perhaps it is not because we have failed to hear God’s Word, but because we have not fully embraced it in mind, heart and action. Today, Jesus invites us to become good soil – to receive His Word, treasure it and put it into practice. For when we do, even hearts that feel bent or broken can be made new again. Yours in Christ, Fr. Robert Warren, S.A. Spiritual Director