FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK
Dear St. Mary’s Parishioners:
As part of our devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, every first Friday of the month, Eucharistic Adoration follows directly after the 8AM Mass. Our Lord is exposed for prayer from morning all the way until the evening 7PM Spanish Mass. St. Mary’s becomes an oasis of profound prayer in the midst of a frantic world. The picture on the cover of the bulletin was from last Friday. As we began, this young mother reverently knelt on the bottom step leading into the sanctuary. Her young son clanged to her sweater, resting his tired head against her arm, as they both prayed silently directly in front of Jesus. At that moment, the memory of my own mother came flashing back. When I was his age, my mother did something very similar. She would drag me to church during the middle of the week to join her at our parish in Elk Grove. I always went kicking and screaming because she interrupted my video game playing time. Nevertheless, mom always won.
This young child in the picture does not realize it yet but his mother is giving him the greatest gift any parent can ever give their child – faith in Jesus Christ. Her faithful, relentless example of prayer will plant a seed in his small heart that has the potential to grow into a mighty Oak tree. As we hear in the Gospel reading today of the famous parable of the seed that falls on different types of soil. “Some seed sown on rocky ground”, Jesus tells us,”... but has no root and lasts only for a time… The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word of, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word… But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.” (Cf. Matthew 13:1-9). Everyone reading this Pastor’s Desk has a seed planted in them that was received at our Baptism. The question is whether we allow it to grow? As we hear Jesus tell us in this parable, it clearly suggests that only a minority of those who receive “the Word”, this metaphorically seed, will become fruitful.
How do we ensure that we make it grow? This will always be the great challenge before us. It’s never simply one single thing. Rather, the Christian life must be just that, a way of life. Just as any gardener knows by experience, if you want a garden to yield a bountiful harvest, it takes more than simply planting the seeds and leaving it alone. It requires consistent, loving attention. You must pull out the weeds; that’s the Christian going to the Sacrament of Confession. You must water the plants; that’s the Christian in daily prayer, reading and studying the Bible. You must root the plant in rich, nutrient soil; that’s the Christian who receives Holy Communion in a state of grace, every single Sunday. When we do this, St. Mary’s has the potential to be the greatest Farmer’s Market in Vacaville!
A Servant of Jesus Christ,
Fr. Brian J. Soliven
