Memorial of Saint Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn, Priest, and Paul Chŏng Ha-sang, and Companions, Martyrs
Luke’s Gospel gives us much to ponder on today. We can think about the nature of parables, the question of God’s providence and our understanding. We can talk about the Devil, temptation, and sin. But I want to focus on the last group of seeds from the parable, the ones that fell on rich soil.
Our immediate reaction might be that these seeds have it made. But I want to take a closer look at the closing words of today’s Gospel. Christ tells us, “But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.” This sounds great! I can do that. Yet, these words only sound good to me when my brain does a little ‘auto-correct’ for Jesus, because He might not have said it the way I think He should have. In my head it reads a little more like this, “They are the ones who, when they heard the word, listened approvingly with a pretty nice and well-meaning heart, and they persevere in helping tell others how to bear fruit while trying to bear some as well, if they can.” That is the easy version that I want sometimes. But that is not what Christ is describing. Here are the three hang-ups that I need His grace to get past.
This language of embracing the word is crucial. Agreement and acceptance don’t capture the concept of embrace. Loving integration and deep familiarity are what embrace is about. I can’t just casually accept the words of Christ. They need to be lovingly integrated into my life and my heart. A heart that is supposed to be generous and good.
That generosity is tough too. I always want generosity to mean that I’m giving from my excess. I somehow make generosity a matter of convenience. As if it is based on me getting a little extra money or a little extra time first. But as a virtue, it isn’t supposed to be easy. A generous heart is one that keeps giving after selfishness says stop. It is not one that only gives what one is willing to lose. And it is done again and again and again.
This perseverance is the final clue that this isn’t easy. I don’t have to persevere to reach the end a lovely afternoon stroll. It doesn’t take perseverance to stay on vacation. It takes perseverance to stand by Christ when the going gets tough. It takes perseverance to rely on the grace that He has planted in the soil all around us, instead of on my own abilities. It takes perseverance to repeat these words of the Psalmist today, “In God, in whose promise I glory, in God I trust without fear.”
Today, we honor Fr. Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn, Paul Chŏng Ha-sang, and thousands of other Korean martyrs who embraced the word of God and whose generosity persevered to and through martyrdom. As they “walk before God in the light of the living” they can see the fruit that Christ bore through them. 5 million Korean Catholics are surrounded by the rich soil of 10,000 martyrs.
Lord, when we encounter your word, help us to embrace it, to give of ourselves generously, and to persevere through whatever trials come. And we especially pray for those who face persecution today. Amen.
- Spencer Hargadon
Source: http://www.americancatholic.org/features/saints/saint.aspx?id=1144