friar Rich, OFM Conv.
I do not have a green thumb. At least, not yet. I’ve almost killed my aloe plant, which I’m
told should be one of the easiest plants to cultivate. Fortunately, one of the friars here is an
outstanding gardener and has prescribed a course of treatment to save it.
We have several gardening spots either at the friary or the parish where we’ve been working as the good weather permits: transplanting some plants, removing others, getting the vegetables into the ground, and the perpetual chore of weeding. In between his gardening guidance, he often repeats the same phrase: “It’s all about planting seeds.”
But even outside the garden, the phrase finds use. Several times, as we’ve been running errands, we’ve had an unexpected encounter or event call our attention. What first seems like a chance happening quickly turns into something else as the increasing number of coincidences compound into something beyond mere chance - a moment of grace. Then, when it’s over, the refrain: “It’s all about planting seeds.”
The other day, I was mentally sorting through the long list of tasks that need to be done, feeling a little overwhelmed and not particularly qualified, when the seed refrain came to my mind. It reminded me of a passage from 1st Corinthians. St. Paul writes to them:
I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth. Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth…For we are God’s co-workers… -1 Cor 3: 6-7, 9
Paul is writing to a church that has placed exaggerated importance on their leaders and their abilities. He gives a clear reminder to the entire church, leaders and all, of how our roles fit into the divine plan.
- We are not all-powerful horticultors: we do not control the sun, the weather, the pests, nor the plants for that matter. That role belongs to God alone.
- At the same time, we are not just tools: we are not inanimate things that are manipulated into doing a job, nor mere flotsam. We have the free will to act.
We are called to be co-workers with God in His creation. The world is not perfect (I think we understand that now more than ever), but God has destined it for perfection. Divine providence is the way that he invites us to work with Him in bringing creation to perfection.[1] One person he inspires at one time to plant, another to water, another to prune. He will bring them in at the right moment, at the right place, at the right time. Do you know the type of moments I’m talking about? Often, they have a flavor of being beyond-coincidence, leaving those who witness it wondering, “Was it odd, or was it God?" These moments of grace, where we encounter God in each other and grow in faith, are the invitations of providence. And providence intricately binds together mission.
The temptations on either side of providence’s path can make it hard to see. On one side is total self-reliance, where one thinks oneself to be the sole master of destiny. On the other is total passivity, where one spends one’s faith life on the sidelines, a constant victim of circumstance. In both cases, providence is not appreciated for the grace that it is, and mission suffers. Sometimes we can focus too much on our own abilities, and lose sight on what God wants done. It takes humility to admit that I have limited control, can make mistakes, and cannot do everything. But it takes fortitude to realize that I am not just a tool; I must choose to respond to God’s invitation to mission, and then use the tools he gives me, like acts of charity, skills & talents, prayers, and penance.
God causes the growth in His own time, in His own way.
I’m just here to plant seeds.
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