The Sunday Sermon Archive

Dear Friend,

The Church began as a mustard seed. Likewise our growth in the spiritual life begins small, but if we nurture its growth it will soon grow to great proportions _ just as the mustard seed grows into the greatest of all the herbs.

All things generally start out small. It is only with time and effort do they become large. In the world of "instant gratification" in which we live, this is often most bothersome to us. The evidence all around us shows that things that grow too fast are often weak even though they may be large. The strong tree is the one that grows slowly for a long time. A rapid growth in nature often points to a weakened core. "A melon grows in one season but an oak takes many years."

This is often true in the spiritual life. Those who appear to have made great strides quickly, are often very weak inside and prove to be more sinful and less holy than first appearance led us to believe. There are a few saints that rose rather quickly and safely, but for the majority we must slowly but surely keep plodding away until we reach the heights of Heaven.

The giants in the Faith are strong and resist the temptations with relative ease because they have been hardened by many and frequent attacks. The falls of those strong in the Faith are generally minor and they quickly and readily rise up again.

Those who are weak can and often do fall terribly and have a difficult time rising up again.

It sometimes appears that there are those who are truly large and strong in the Faith and they fall suddenly and terribly. It is often very shocking to those who see it happen. And we wonder how could this have happened? It is as if the mighty oak in the forest just fell over one day for no apparent reason. But, if we examine the core of such an oak we often find that the core was soft and insect ridden and the "mighty oak" was only just a shell of an oak tree. This too is often the case with so many who outwardly appear to be very good people (even saintly). It is not until after their fall that it becomes obvious that they did not have a solid core, they were hollow. They talked a lot about religion but their hearts and souls were more interested in other things.

Such poor souls may have been at one time solid and true to the very core of their being but they have allowed the corruption to enter into their hearts. And just as good growth begins small and goes step by step always making sure each step is solid and secure, so too the destruction often begins small and grows gradually but surely.

Dear Friend,

The Church began as a mustard seed. Likewise our growth in the spiritual life begins small, but if we nurture its growth it will soon grow to great proportions _ just as the mustard seed grows into the greatest of all the herbs.

All things generally start out small. It is only with time and effort do they become large. In the world of "instant gratification" in which we live, this is often most bothersome to us. The evidence all around us shows that things that grow too fast are often weak even though they may be large. The strong tree is the one that grows slowly for a long time. A rapid growth in nature often points to a weakened core. "A melon grows in one season but an oak takes many years."

This is often true in the spiritual life. Those who appear to have made great strides quickly, are often very weak inside and prove to be more sinful and less holy than first appearance led us to believe. There are a few saints that rose rather quickly and safely, but for the majority we must slowly but surely keep plodding away until we reach the heights of Heaven.

The giants in the Faith are strong and resist the temptations with relative ease because they have been hardened by many and frequent attacks. The falls of those strong in the Faith are generally minor and they quickly and readily rise up again.

Those who are weak can and often do fall terribly and have a difficult time rising up again.

It sometimes appears that there are those who are truly large and strong in the Faith and they fall suddenly and terribly. It is often very shocking to those who see it happen. And we wonder how could this have happened? It is as if the mighty oak in the forest just fell over one day for no apparent reason. But, if we examine the core of such an oak we often find that the core was soft and insect ridden and the "mighty oak" was only just a shell of an oak tree. This too is often the case with so many who outwardly appear to be very good people (even saintly). It is not until after their fall that it becomes obvious that they did not have a solid core, they were hollow. They talked a lot about religion but their hearts and souls were more interested in other things.

Such poor souls may have been at one time solid and true to the very core of their being but they have allowed the corruption to enter into their hearts. And just as good growth begins small and goes step by step always making sure each step is solid and secure, so too the destruction often begins small and grows gradually but surely. At first we allow the sins of the heart to enter in and they are unnoticeable to the world so we think nothing of them. He who represents to himself unchaste objects, and takes pleasure in the mental contemplation thereof, sins by bad thoughts. (The thoughts may also be vain, proud, revengeful, avaricious, envious, etc.) He who not only represents to himself something bad, but also desires to see, to hear, or to do it, sins by bad desires. These noxious sins are like tiny insects infesting the heart of the giant oak. At first they appear so small and insignificant that they are not given a second thought, but once they get in they begin to multiply and spread to the point that there is nothing solid remaining on the inside and the shell on the outside is soon toppled over and destroyed completely.

There is nothing small when it concerns the life of our souls. The smallest of things have the greatest potential either for good or evil.

We must begin rooting out all the evil that we find within us no matter how small or insignificant we may think it is. Let us always remember that nothing stained will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. And every sin is an offense against the infinite goodness of God and therefore is a terrible crime.

Let us begin cooperating with the grace that has been given us _ even if it is only the size of a mustard seed. It will grow and grow large and strong if we nurture it. No matter how devoid of goodness we may find ourselves at this time, there is at least one small mustard seed of grace that God has given us. Let us find that and nurture it. By cooperating with the graces that we do have we make ourselves more receptive and worthy of greater ones. Each grace that is cooperated with merits another greater grace for us and step by step, little by little, we can grow large and strong in the spiritual life.

There is no saint without a past, and there are no sinners without a future, if they cooperate with the grace of God.

At first we allow the sins of the heart to enter in and they are unnoticeable to the world so we think nothing of them. He who represents to himself unchaste objects, and takes pleasure in the mental contemplation thereof, sins by bad thoughts. (The thoughts may also be vain, proud, revengeful, avaricious, envious, etc.) He who not only represents to himself something bad, but also desires to see, to hear, or to do it, sins by bad desires. These noxious sins are like tiny insects infesting the heart of the giant oak. At first they appear so small and insignificant that they are not given a second thought, but once they get in they begin to multiply and spread to the point that there is nothing solid remaining on the inside and the shell on the outside is soon toppled over and destroyed completely.

There is nothing small when it concerns the life of our souls. The smallest of things have the greatest potential either for good or evil.

We must begin rooting out all the evil that we find within us no matter how small or insignificant we may think it is. Let us always remember that nothing stained will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. And every sin is an offense against the infinite goodness of God and therefore is a terrible crime.

Let us begin cooperating with the grace that has been given us _ even if it is only the size of a mustard seed. It will grow and grow large and strong if we nurture it. No matter how devoid of goodness we may find ourselves at this time, there is at least one small mustard seed of grace that God has given us. Let us find that and nurture it. By cooperating with the graces that we do have we make ourselves more receptive and worthy of greater ones. Each grace that is cooperated with merits another greater grace for us and step by step, little by little, we can grow large and strong in the spiritual life.

There is no saint without a past, and there are no sinners without a future, if they cooperate with the grace of God.

Franciscan Benefactor Seraph Subscription Vocations Have you remembered God?