The Farm Team

I didn’t go south this winter, but sometimes when I do, I like to visit “Fenway South” in Fort Myers, Florida. Even if I don’t get into the ballpark, I feel I’m participating in one of the early signs of spring: pitchers & catchers report for training! The bigger Red Sox news this year, however, has to do with last minute changes in managers and trading away some big name players. It’s looking like this may be a rebuilding year for our beloved Sox….

You don’t have to be a baseball fan like me to appreciate how the rituals of the new baseball season remind us of spiritual realities in our lives. I often say that spring training is an analogy for the spiritual benefits of Lent. Teams that are rebuilding themselves often have to trust in their “farm team” - the minor league portion of the squad who are still honing their skills, hopefully growing into the honor of playing in the major leagues.
 

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Faith is a gift - a seed from God, filled with potential! While seeds have value in themselves, we will reap far more benefits from our faith if we plant it in a church community, feeding it regularly with prayer, scripture, and the sacraments

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Jesus often used the physical world to symbolize what is happening on the spiritual level. He often used parables about plants to help us see our faith in the larger context of life. In order to have produce or flowers, we need to plan ahead, plant seeds, nourish & protect the plants over the long period of growth. Our relationship with Jesus, as well as our spiritual strength and resilience, benefit from these farming steps. Faith is a gift - a seed from God, filled with potential! While seeds have value in themselves, we will reap far more benefits from our faith if we plant it in a church community, feeding it regularly with prayer, scripture, and the sacraments. Like weeding and pest prevention, we need to learn what saps the growth of our faith, even risking spiritual damage and death. As plants often benefit from being around other plants, our being among others growing in their Catholic Christian faith allows us to share our insights, blessings, and support through the storms of life. There is a lot of work involved in growing and harvesting. It can be a thankless job until we begin to reap the harvest.

Our collaborative parishes have been working on growing our “farm team” - which is really all of us in one way or another. None of us has “arrived” in the heavenly “hall of fame” yet, and even those who are doing well spiritually need to nurture and fertilize growth at times (I know I do!) Our Local Pastoral Plan has provided our “garden map.” We have already reaped some harvests, and as we near the end of the three-year plan this June, we will be talking more about the goals we have accomplished and areas for future growth as we plan ahead for the next three years.

While I’m rooting for this year’s Red Sox squad, it may take some time to rebuild a World Series team. Rebuilding our Church and our parishes takes time too, but we know the Master Gardener will lovingly nourish and protect us, helping the faith he planted to grow and bear fruit!