Trust in the Transformation

A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to Mark
     Jesus said to the crowds:
     “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 through it all the seed would sprout and grow,
     he knows not how.
     Of its own accord the land yields fruit,
     first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
     And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once,
     for the harvest has come.”
     He said,
     “To what shall we compare the kingdom of God,
     or what parable can we use for it?
     It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
     is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
     But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
     and puts forth large branches,
     so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”
     With many such parables
     he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.
     Without parables he did not speak to them,
     but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.


     The other day, my son Mason and I were harvesting some roma tomatoes from our garden at home, and we were both incredibly excited for this moment. You could say our garden last year was not the most successful of ventures. In fact, our previous year’s garden yielded exactly 2 ½ cherry tomatoes in total, which doesn’t exactly make enough for a serving of pasta sauce or topping for a salad. When we saw all the bright red tomatoes gleaming in the wonderful Louisiana sunlight, excitement was in the air as we began fervently picking this wonderful fruit (because tomatoes are fruits, apparently). 

     As we continued to pick our tomatoes, I looked down and Mason was starting to pick some of the tomatoes that were yellow-orange in color, under ripe and not ready to be picked. I told him, “Hold up buddy, those aren’t ready yet,” and I could see how this was confusing his three-year-old brain. I explained that we could eat these under-ripe tomatoes now, but it wouldn’t taste as good as the red ones we just picked. As you can imagine, that explanation didn’t do very much for his toddler mind and a mild bout of frustration began shortly thereafter (#toddlerlife).

    This parable that Jesus uses in the upcoming Sunday’s Gospel points us to the eschatalogical final harvest we will one day find ourselves taking part in. The final harvest where the Just Judge will judge His people. We can also look at this parable through another lens, through the process of our own growth in the moral life in Christ. It is through this lens that we realize that only when the fruit of our labor becomes ripe should we ourselves also harvest its abundance. 

     Like farming or gardening, growing in virtue takes work, planning, diligence and perseverance. It can be easy to just call off our progress all-together and say, “You know, I think I’m just going to enjoy my fruit now because I think I've gotten close enough”. That temptation is always in the back of my mind, especially during seasons of growth that are not necessarily a part of my own “plan.” Oftentimes, I want to just say, “Yes, Lord, I have learned my lesson,” or, “I know that already, Lord, so I don’t need to spend anymore time with this.” And then there’s my personal favorite: “Instead of offering up a time of growth as a sacrifice for a deeper holiness, not only for myself but for the intentions of others as well, I will waste it by complaining or comparing myself to others and their spiritual progress.” In allowing myself to think this way, I ultimately lose focus on how the Lord is working in my heart and in that moment. 

    To put this in perspective: Would it make sense for a farmer to go through all the trouble of scattering the seed, tilling the soil and  providing the water for a crop that he did not intend to enjoy in its fullness? Of course that would not be the case! My challenge for you, no matter how difficult this may sound, is to trust in the transformation. God offers this transformation to us as long as we remain connected to the “vine.” This is how we receive His nutrients. Make no mistake, most of the time this is not a pretty process, but it is a necessary process in order for us to reach that highest good available to us in our life; a true self-mastery; a true freedom. Only perseverance in the moral life in Christ Jesus allows for us to gain this freedom. Contrary to what many in this culture think, true and authentic freedom comes not in some external secular authority or “right” but through one’s own ability to detach from the many things (both good and bad) of this world in order for us to be in a position to choose the highest good in each passing moment. Where many of us, including myself, fall short in this process is by thinking that we have reached the end of the growth long before we can even get a hint of the fullness of the flavor of the fruit God really intends for us to rejoice in. 

     So if you are in the midst of a time that is calling you to grow, I highly recommend to stay in the fight and remain close to Our Lord through prayer and experiencing Him in the sacraments. The peace and clarity that accompanies a more mastered self is worth the struggle and worth the wait. There might be days where you turn out just like my son, throwing a tantrum here or there because we can all grow impatient at times… but as long as you stay connected to the vine, that fruit will become ripe and full of life. God does not place anything upon our hearts that He does not intend to see through to the end and rejoice in once we finally are able to harvest that blessing from it. If He is the beginning and the end of all things, why not allow him to be the beginning and the end of our own transformation? So I challenge you to let Him lead you in this process and to really do all you can to trust in his timing no matter how hard that can be. A good chef can do amazing things with ripe ingredients (especially in Cajun Country, sha’). So how much more can the Lord do with us, even with the smallest of offerings, when we allow ourselves to be transformed into His own image?
Anyone else hungry? 

In the hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph,

West

About the Author: West Giffin is the Associate Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry (Red Stick Catholics) at the Diocese of Baton Rouge. West grew up in Baton Rouge and was an active participant in youth ministry programs during middle and high school and these communities allowed him to find true community and foster a personal encounter with Christ. Before working at the Diocese, West brought his love for fostering faith-based communities to Most Blessed Sacrament parish, where he was the youth minister for four years. When West isn’t working or pursuing his Master of Art degree in Pastoral Leadership from Notre Dame Seminary Graduate School, he can be found spending quality time with his son, Mason.
What food would you eat every day for the rest of your life? Anything Greek/Mediterranean 
If you could eat dinner with anyone from history, other than Jesus, who would you eat dinner with? Padre Pio

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The Well is a weekly reflection series from Red Stick Catholics that was created to allow young adults from the Diocese of Baton Rouge to reveal how God is speaking to them through prayer and Scripture. Each reflection contains the upcoming Sunday’s Gospel, a reflection written by a young adult from the Diocese of Baton Rouge and prompts for how to pray with the Gospel and reflection during the week. If you are interested in writing a reflection, please email Nicole at [email protected] .