With good roots

The first one is by Ezequiel

 ²² Thus says the Lord God: "I will also take the top of a tall cedar and plant it; I will pluck a branch from the end of its branches and plant it on a high and lofty mountain. ²³ I will plant it on the high mountain of Israel. And it shall shoot forth branches, and bear fruit, and become a magnificent cedar. All birds shall make their nests in it; in the shadow of its branches shall all kinds of birds make their nests. (Ez 17:22-23).

He is talking about the restoration of Israel to its land after the exile, but also about how God cares for each of his creatures, for each one of us: he chooses us, he plants us in the right soil and he takes care of us so that our personality be beautiful, welcoming, and bear fruit.

In the Gospel

Jesus also tells us two parables about fields and plants. The first one is very simple, but it gives a lot of peace.

The Kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed on the ground, ²⁷ and, whether he sleeps or watches night and day, the seed is born and grows, without him knowing how. ²⁸ For the earth alone produces fruit: first the grass, then the ear, and finally the ripe wheat in the ear. ²⁹ And as soon as the fruit is ready, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest is ready. (Mk 4:26-29).

The seed grows by itself, as long as we do not pull it up or let it dry out. A minimum of care is enough, but do not be overburdened: it is God who makes it grow and bear fruit. So it is with the spiritual life. The protagonism belongs to God, to the grace. It is enough to be docile so that grace may act and make our love for God and others grow.

One of the dangers of the spiritual life, and of life in general, is voluntarism, self-sufficiency: to think that we alone can orient ourselves, that we can get it right in our lives. decisionsand achieve our goals by relying on our strength. Those who face things in this way are soon broken spiritually and perhaps psychologically. The important thing is to value the primacy of God's action and, therefore, of the supernatural means -the prayer of trusting petition, the grace of the sacraments (penance and Eucharist, often, but also baptism, confirmation, ordination, marriage or anointing of the sick, all of which are important for their own purposes), the training in faith (taking care of the means to nourish it), and spiritual accompaniment. Then, provide the means, but with humility and without being overwhelmed.

Mark's parable

The other parable is also simple and hopeful

³⁰ - What will the Kingdom of God look like, or what parable will we compare it to? ³¹ It is like a mustard seed which, when sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; ³² but, once sown, it grows and becomes larger than all the vegetables, and puts forth large branches, so much so that the birds of the air can nest under its shadow. (Mk 4:30-32).

A mustard seed is tiny - a grain much less than a millimeter in diameter - but when it grows it is a respectable bush. Everything big starts out small, and the holiness also. It is good to have hope to do everything well and with much love But let us begin with a mustard seed: one or a few resolutions every day, attainable and that we propose because we feel like it, because it comes from our heart to strive to carry them out, to offer them to the Lord and to make others happy.

Summer resolutions

We are immersed in summer, and now is a good time to make resolutions on how to take care of our Christian life during this time.

In a plant, in a tree, it is important to put down roots. Leaves can dry up and fall off, but that's okay if the tree has good roots and enough moisture in the soil: it will sprout again, and even more vigorously. What are the roots that give stability? A solid faith, a well-formed conscience, a habitual recourse to the sacraments -at least the Mass and an affectionate devotion to the Virgin -at least three Hail Marys before going to sleep-.

And then, fertilize, water and care for the plant so that it grows every day and becomes very beautiful.

A few weeks ago, we celebrated the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of JesusThe place from which her great love springs, and on June 20, the feast of the Heart of Mary.

A Jesus and to their mother Holy Mary we ask them to remain forever in our hearts so that we may take root and the sap of their love may fill and vivify us.