Fr Ed Homily 8-10-20

Turn Up The Heat!

Remember the parable of the sower? He sows seed far and wide, literally flinging it everywhere. If you want to have a rich harvest, then you must be willing to be generous in distributing the seeds. I enjoy cooking. And I do like what people label as ‘spicy’ food. Spicy is a relative term. I enjoy many hot sauces, but not to the point that they cause you pain or discomfort. I use hot sauces to add flavor or enhance the flavor of food. You have all seen crazy people trying to eat extremely hot peppers or drink hot sauces. Let me assure you, they will pay the price tomorrow. I have no interest in that sort of self-abuse.

With jalapeños, most people have discovered it is the oil in the seeds that contains the element of ‘hot’. If you have not worked with these peppers before, be sure to use gloves and do not touch your eyes or lips. It will burn. So, in today’s gospel Jesus tells us that the seed must fall to the earth. For it to grow, it must lie in the earth until such time that God wills it to break through its husk and blossom into new fruit. Scientists have studied all types of seeds. We really do not know how they work.

The symbolism of the seed falling to earth in the gospel today should not be lost on us. We are born anew through baptism. We live our lives as creatures of heaven, but here on earth. Our earthen bodies eventually wear out and we are planted in the ground. But just like the seed, our life does not end here. We blossom into eternal life with our Savior. And when Christ comes again, we will be given a new, glorious body, just as Jesus has after His Resurrection. In the mean time I would suggest that you all be the “hot” stuff that adds flavor to the world around you. There is nothing wrong with being a little “spicy”!

May the Lord bless you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen