Fr. Samuel Keyes

I have to wonder what the disciples were thinking in the story of our gospel today. In another story, of course, a storm comes when Jesus takes a nap. And today we hear about a storm that comes on while Jesus goes off alone to pray. Surely these were both a little discouraging, and we can imagine the men asking that question that seems to constantly plague us in moments of trial: Where’s Jesus when you need him? Or, if you prefer, cue Lena Horne’s plaintive voice in her classic 1943 film,...

Just last week we heard the parable of the sower, where the seed is the word of God and the soil is the people who receive it. Today, though, in the parable of the wheat and the tares, we are not the soil but the seed. In one interpretation, this parable can appear disturbing, because whatever we are — wheat or weeds — we are simply what either Jesus or the devil planted. Seeds have no free will; they just live out their nature as seeds. This was how many of the Gnostic heretics would have...

From Isaiah: [My word] shall not return to me empty,but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it. This is a great set of readings for those who like growing things. Even the most successful human gardener has issues from time to time — seeds that don’t sprout like they should, unpredictable weather, pests. Having moved all over the country, I’ve often had to forget a lot of what I’ve learned when I come to a new place. Scripture loves...