1st Reading 2 Corinthians 9: 6b-10
Psalm Ps. 112: 1b-2.5-6.7-8.9 (R.
5a)
Gospel John 12: 24-26
We start this week's reflection with an invitation
to become servants just as we celebrate the feast of St. Lawrence, Deacon and
Martyr today. In spite of persecution, he fervently served God's people to the
point of death. His name occurs (with Pope Sixtus’, who was killed days
earlier) in the Roman Canon of the Mass. We ask him to intercede for all
Deacons who are preparing for their priestly ordinations that by availing themselves
as vessels, “God may act upon remote substances [God's people] through them
[less substances]” (Dionysius, Coel. Hier.
xxiii; in Thomas Aquinas, Summa,
Question 6, Article 1).
The readings of today seem to speak mainly in the
context of agriculture. While the first reading commences with a reminder of
the fact that output or, properly speaking, harvest, is determined by input
(planting, sowing, watering, etc) and with the theme of charity, the Gospel
elects to speak to us about the death of a seed before it grows. These two,
while employing agricultural language, should strike us when really consider
certain details.
The death of a seed is indispensable to its growth.
The use of a seed in our context may not dwell on something far away, but us.
In the parable of the sower, Jesus shows that “the seed is the word of God”
(cf. Lk. 8: 11). With us compared to seeds, and not that which is not us, we
ought to die to ourselves, put our personal interests aside for the benefit of
the community. What should promote 'all' is what counts. The Ubuntu philosophy
which postulates “all for one, one for
all” echoes this message better, even as we celebrate St. Lawrence, a Deacon
(Grk: Diakonos), who is primarily a minister
of charity in the early Church (cf. Acts 6:1-6)
The input should now be the readiness to undertake
such a simple but demanding work. With St. Lawrence to intercede for us, we
pray God helps us to serve Christ in the poorest of the poor by first dying to
ourselves.
Amen.
Tradition holds that as he (St. Lawrence) was
roasting to death on a gridiron, he asked his tortures to turn him over, since
he was “done” enough on that side
Pax et Bonum
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