I find it an interesting point for meditation: How we can offend God by not giving back to Him the gifts He has given us. We fail to give those gifts back to Him in many ways, but one way for certain is by not humbly recalling from Whom we received them, by vainly claiming authorship of those gifts and talents that we possess through God’s generosity and wisdom.

(St. Francis reminds us of the importance of keeping our lives directed to the “good”, our minds attentive and discerning of what is true and beautiful, our choices disciplined by virtue. This is the basis of Christian living.)

(Father Val was my pastor from 1982-84 at Guardian Angels Parish in Chaska, Minnesota. This quote aptly describes his demeanor and spirituality. He was a good pastor of souls.)

“This is what we are about. We plant the seed that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces effects beyond our capabilities. We cannot do everything and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for God’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 the workers, not master builders…”

Food for thought….. Our efforts may not seem to bear evident fruit, but in the end, the harvest is the Lord’s. We plant and till and nuture. The harvest is his. We are his workers, his hands, his eyes, his Body.

(The early Christians were a joyful lot despite the persecutions. We all need to recapture the joy that ought to characterize a life well-lived.)