June 17 // 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

What a great story teller Jesus is! Today’s Gospel stories are about the farmer scattering seed and about a seed springing up to become the largest of shrubs. Is the farmer our gracious God? Is the seed God’s powerful WORD? How do we know the power of God’s WORD in our lives?

We have each heard homilies that have meant the world to us! How about the homily Fr. Sergio gave about a priest who treated an embarrassed, tall, and very muddy high school freshman so kindly?  Fr. Sergio rode his grandfather’s “crazy” horse through the Columbian hills in the rain from 1 am to 7 am to receive his First Communion. That horse threw him into the mud and young Sergio felt ashamed to be so dirty; he felt he could not receive communion in such condition. The priest welcomed him and brought him to the sacristy where young Sergio could wash his face and hands. The priest offered Sergio a white alb to wear and invited him to be his altar server. Sergio told him “I’ve never served; I don’t how.” The kind priest said, “There is always a first time.” Fr. Sergio received his first Holy Communion and served at the altar all the same day.

God sowed understanding compassion into that kind priest and voila, the WORD found fertile soil in young Sergio!