"We Plant the Seeds That One Day Will Grow"
We mourn the senseless harming and killing of life occurring around the world, especially innocent human life. We can never accept, justify, nor sanction anyone attributing such action to a God who is love; a God whose dream is for all of creation to be filled with love, joy, happiness, wholeness, justice, peace, truth, freedom, compassion, healing, mercy, forgiveness, and salvation; where all are called to be brothers and sisters to one another; and where all will become consciously aware that all are One in, with, and through God.
We may feel helpless at our inability to personally comfort, defend, or protect the innocents of the world. Maybe the only thing we can offer to them is our solidarity, our prayers, our trust in a loving and compassionate God, and our faith and hope that God's dream for all creation will ultimately be realized. Sometimes we merely plant the seeds for God's dream that God gives us, and allow God to use others to nurture and care for the seeds, and still others for the final harvest.
You are invited to reflect on the prayer “Prophets of a Future Not Our Own": *
It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.
The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision.
We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work.
Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying that the Kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the Church's mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.
This is what we are about.
We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.
This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way,
an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results,
but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.
* The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops describes the origin of this Prayer: "This prayer was first presented by Cardinal Dearden in 1979 and quoted by Pope Francis in 2015. This reflection is an excerpt from a homily written for Cardinal Dearden by then Fr. Ken Untener on the occasion of the Mass for Deceased Priests, October 25, 1979. Pope Francis quoted Cardinal Dearden in his remarks to the Roman Curia on December 21, 2015. Fr. Untener was named bishop of Saginaw, Michigan, in 1980." Fr. Untener died in 2004. In honor of Archbishop Oscar Romero of San Salvador, who was martyred on March 24, 1980, this prayer is sometimes attributed to him, whether he ever spoke it or not.
The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the
Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the Church's mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.
This is what we are about.
We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted,
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything, and there is a sense
This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning,
an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results,
but that is the difference between the master builder
We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.