March 26, 2022
One of the loveliest books of the Bible is Hosea from which today’s first reading comes. The prophet assures us that God will come to us “like the rain, like spring rain that waters the earth.” For those of you who are gardeners or know farm life, this is a metaphor that makes sense to you. How welcome is the spring rain after the seeds have been sown and the plants planted! There is so much hope inside each tiny seed. It is with humility and trust that we plant. It is with humility and hope that we come before the Lord to pray and seek reconciliation. Psalm 95 assures us that a heart filled with contrition and is humble is welcomed by God. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus asks us to pray in a humble manner before God. If we think of ourselves as tiny seeds, planted in humility in the soil of deep trust, God will rain upon us. And watered by his tender compassion we will germinate, emerge, grow, and bear fruit. When I first work in my garden, I sing the old song made famous by The Weavers: “Inch by inch, row by row”. I beg God to bless the seeds I sow. May God water the garden of your heart today.