Sowing the Seeds of Holiness

Tuesday's gospel reading Mathew 13:36-43
"The good seed is the people who belong to the Kingdom; the weeds are the people who belong to the Evil One; and the enemy who sowed the weeds is the Devil." Mathew 13:38-39

I accidently read tomorrow's gospel reading first this morning and wanted to quickly share with you what came to my heart.  Today is the Feast Day of Jesus' Grandparents, St. Joachim & Anne. What immediately comes to my mind this day is holiness in the family.  How do we achieve holiness?  This should be our greatest concern every single day of our lives as a mother and wife. "To be Holy is to be a reflection of God, to possess the characteristics of the divine, especially love.  In holiness, love illuminates the whole person; it becomes a living dynamism or engergy within us." Father Richard Beyer 

We have two beautiful models of Holy Families to look to; Mary's parents Joachim & Anne as well as Mary and Joseph.  Each family did not have fine things.  They were very poor and lived in small homes. However, what they did have was LOVE.  Today so many think our children need so much or need to be educated at the age of two, so they send them to school.  (Mainly because it gives the mother a break but she is making herself feel better thinking her child is learning so much.)  The education will come.  The buddies and birthday parties will come.  Right now, however, all your child really will ever needs growing up is abundance in love.  If your family has a wealth of love under your roof than you are very rich.  Your children have all they need.....a loving Father and Mother.  If they witness the respect the mother has for the Father and vice versa, they are receiving a beautiful education in their midst of respect for one another.  If they are well disciplined by their mother throughout the day and Father by night, then they are receiving the greatest education within the home.  A holy family is not one that boasts of their successes and plays the "one up game" with the Jones'. A holy family is humble, modest and joyful.  They beam of God's love through love for one another and their neighbor.  You see this holy family at mass each sunday praising God for all of the blessings that has been bestowed on them and praying fervently for their children's future.  A holy family's greatest prayer is not that their children will acheive great success in the world, but they will never abandon the Christian faith.  For if a person has faith, they have everything. Wisdom, happiness, love, joy, peace. This is the wealth we should be chasing.

So today, who is sowing the seeds of your family?  This world and keeping up with its standards or is God the sower of your seeds.  It is so hard to keep focused but by keeping focused your family will reep an abundant harvest.  Don't let this world choke you and your children but let each and every one of you sprout good seeds and shine like the sun to those around you.  "Love is a net to catch souls". -Mother Teresa  Let your love of holiness be the net to catch others (including your children) souls for the Kingdom.

Blessings to you this Monday.