11TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME B

-

 


GOD’S GREEN THUMB

Mk 4: 26-34

 

 


 

Both the first reading (Ezek. 17) and the Gospel today (Mk. 4) made me visualize God as a modern-day plantito (a trending Filipino term born of the lockdown experience, meaning plant-lover). Bored during quarantine, Filipinos turned their attention on a new hobby – gardening, and became plantitos and plantitas. In so doing they discovered a new way to relax by caring for nature and appreciating its beauty in their backyard.

 

Ezekiel describes God as an expert plantito who tears a branch, plants it and makes it grow into a mighty tree. God is the original green thumb! The Lord Jesus shares parables that show plants mysteriously growing independently of the farmer. It is God who gives life to plants and to the whole of creation.

 

I think there are two lessons we can learn from the Scriptures. First, there is the invitation to appreciate nature and our proper role in it. The pandemic made us realize how instead of being destroyers, we are called to be carers of our environment. We need to use our senses to lift our minds and hearts to God. Seeing plants, trees, and vegetation must lead us to praise the Lord who provides us with sources of life – oxygen, food, ornaments, shade, and protection.

 

For a long time we treated nature as an object to be used and exploited. Now we are beginning to see that God wants us to see nature as a partner in achieving our goals of joy, peace and progress.

 

Second, there is that reminder to value all of creation, but most specially our relationship with people. If with plants, we can be diligent, patient, creative, concerned and understanding, how can we not have the same attitude towards our brothers and sisters? Some people sing to their plants but yell at the members of their family or their house helpers.

 

Jesus portrays God as a farmer to show us how much love he invests in our lives. As we return his love, we can do this best by showing the same kindness towards nature and towards the people around us.

 

Let us care for nature; let us care for one another.

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

HOLY MASS IN FILIPINO (TAGALOG)

-
Image
ANG BANAL NA MISA PAMBUNGAD NA AWIT Pari:    Sa ngalan ng Ama, at ng anak, at ng Espiritu Santo. Bayan: Amen P.         Sumainyo ang Panginoon. B.        At sumainyo rin. P.         Mga kapatid, aminin nating ang ating mga kasalanan upang tayo’y maging marapat sa pagdiriwang ng banal na paghahaing ito.             Sinugong Tagapagpagaling sa mga nagsisisi,             Panginoon, kaawaan mo kami. B.        Panginoon, kaawaan mo kami. P.        Dumating na Tagapag-anyayang mga makasalana’y magsisi,             Kristo, kaawaan mo kami. B.         Kristo, kaawaan mo kami...
Read more

SIMBANG GABI DAY 1: READINGS AND REFLECTIONS

-
Image
FIRST DAY: DECEMBER 16   (from the book: Where is the Child?by Fr. R. Marcos (Makati: StPauls);  pls responsibly acknowledge source when using publicly)   fr tam nguyen's photo First Reading: Isaiah 56:1-3, 6-8   Thus says the Lord: Observe what is right, do what is just, for my salvation is about to come, my justice, about to be revealed.   Hay is the one who does this, whoever holds fast to it: Keeping the sabbath without profaning it, keeping one’s hand from doing any evil. The foreigner joined to the Lord should not say, “The Lord will surely exclude me from his people”; Nor should the eunuch say, “See, I am a dry tree.” And foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, to become his servants—All who keep the sabbath without profaning it and hold fast to my covenant, them I will bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and t...
Read more

SIMBANG GABI DAY 2: READINGS AND REFLECTIONS

-
Image
SECOND DAY: December 17   (from the book: Where is the Child?by Fr. R. Marcos (Makati: StPauls);  pls responsibly acknowledge source when using publicly)   fr tam nguyen's photo   First Reading: Genesis 49:2, 8-10   Jacob called his sons and said [to them]: “Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob, listen to Israel, your father. “You, Judah, shall your brothers praise—your hand on the neck of your enemies;the sons of your father shall bow down to you. Judah is a lion’s cub, you have grown up on prey, my son. He crouches, lies down like a lion, Like a lioness—who would dare rouse him? The scepter shall never depart from Judah, or the mace from between his feet, until tribute comes to him, and he receives the people’s obedience.”     A.             Short Background on the First Reading   1. Who was Judah? Judah was one of the twelve sons of Jacob (or Isra...
Read more