HARVESTING THE SEEDS:  ARE THERE “WEEDS” IN YOUR SPIRITUAL VINEYARD?

As we continue our work in the vineyard of the Lord—the vineyard that resides deep within each one of us—we come to the time of harvest; the time to harvest the seeds of faith that have been planted in our hearts and souls.  In prior reflections, we prepared the soil of our inner vineyards, we tilled it, sprinkled it with live-giving water and fertilized it.  We cleansed ourselves of the arid, hard, dry soil that keeps us from getting closer to God.  We planted the seeds that will help us to grow abundantly in the relationship we cherish with our Lord.  The Risen One assures us that even the smallest of seeds when nurtured and tended can take root and blossom and grow into a miraculous harvest.  (Matt 13:32).

St. Paul reminds us that “whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.”  (2 Cor 9:6).  The Lord has done everything for the vineyards that exist within each one of us—he planted the “choicest vines” on a “fertile hillside;” he gave it a good exposure and carefully hedged it in to keep away trespassers and animals.  God has given us a wonderful vineyard that we often take for granted.  Despite the utmost of care and precaution, “weeds” (such as anger, jealousy, fear, pride, control, etc.)  invariably find their way into our vineyards and get in the way of our relationship with God.  And so what really matters, is how we harvest the fruit—how we separate the “weeds” from the proverbial wheat.

The Parable of the Tenants—has significant implications for how we live our lives; how  we separate out the “weeds” to produce a bountiful harvest.  Are we like the tenants who reject the Landowner’s servants and His Son or do we welcome and embrace the Landowner’s messengers?  (Matt 21:33-43). Joyce Rupp sums it up this way, “I, too, must be open to the turning over and the turning under of last year’s harvest.  I, too, must be willing to have the sharp blades of life’s difficulties slice through my convictions and have them blended in faith.  I, too, must allow my spirit’s rough edges to be smoothed so that God’s seed can take root in me, so that the word of God will be deeply implanted in my every thought and action.  Most of all, I must believe in my potential to receive the word of God and my potential to become an ever more whole human being, recognizing and developing the gifts which the sower has given me.”  (from Fresh Bread And Other Gifts Of Spiritual Nourishment).

Christ comes with a new vision for our vineyards, a vision of vineyards with no “weeds.”   But to realize that vision, we ourselves must believe in what lies within us.  We must believe in our own giftedness.  The more we believe in this treasure, the greater bounty we will reap during the harvest.