Homily for the 11the week in Ordinary time Year B; EZ 17:22-24,  2 COR 5:6-10,  MK 4:26-34

First, I want to wish all the fathers a Happy Father’s Day. This includes fathers, grandfathers, stepfathers, adoptive fathers and our spiritual fathers.

I remember when my children were younger and smaller, they were easier to deal with. They believed everything you told them, and you were a king as far as they were concerned. Then they get to middle school and their teenage years. All of a sudden you become dumber than a rock. The funny thing is they really think that you cannot relate to their problems. While there be some circumstances we don’t understand due to the generation it is in, the significant issues are all still the same as when we were their age. There is the feeling of not fitting in, being bullied, or bullying someone else are among some of the most common. While today that can be exacerbated by social media, the issue is the same.

We hear in the Gospel today the story of the sowing of the seeds as well as the parable of the mustard seed. Parents of all stripes can relate to the part; “This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and through it all the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how.”

We were there when our children were conceived and born. Then one minute it seems like they are just learning to walk and the next they are leaving the house, whether for college or off to work a trade. Seemingly this happens of its own volition, of course, we help this along by feeding them.

This parable can also be related to our faith. We begin with an inkling of God and then through listening to his Word and watching the examples of others our faith can either grow or stagnate. It increases when we continue to feed it just as with children. In order to feed it, we need to listen to the Word of God, study it and be nourished by it coming to Mass on a regular basis. This will help us grow into mature faith-filled adults who can be examples to others.

In today’s society, it is easy to forget this as we are called to multi-task, or there is a screen that has a show, or a game playing that we cannot resist. That screen will tend to lead us further from God, and this is what allows our faith to stagnate, I understand this from personal experience. It can be overcome if we go back and listen, study and participate in God’s Word.

The mustard seed parable goes along with this and enhances this. Like a small seed, our faith begins. Then when we nourish and water the faith, it can become one of the main focuses of our lives which is a good thing. This grown and mature faith is there to help us create a safe haven for those we love. You can see this in the idea that we hear in both the reading from Ezekiel as well as the Gospel where they talk about a safe place for the birds to sit in the shade.

In Ezekiel, we are told that from this faith of Israel, the kingdom of David, God will send forth and nurture a king. This is related by the phrase “I, too, will take from the crest of the cedar, from its topmost branches tear off a tender shoot, and plant it on a high and lofty mountain; on the mountain heights of Israel, I will plant it.”

The reading goes on to say it will sprout many branches, the church, and all its teachings. This will then give protection to the people who call the church home. With this protection from the hot rays of the sun, we are expected to bear fruit and watch out for the least among us. The least among us takes us back to our children whom we have been given temporary custody of here in this life.

We as fathers have a unique role in the raising of our children. As Paul reminds the Corinthians, we walk by faith, not by sight as we are in our earthly bodies. Of course, as we age our bodies can begin to wither and become frail as these are only temporary vessels here on earth for our spirit to live in. We all should be looking not for what we can gain in this life, but what we need to do in this life to achieve eternal life with God.

As fathers we are to be courageous, which does not mean we show no emotion. It says that in raising our children and taking care of our spouse, we know that we do not walk alone. The spirit is with us as we do this. It is certainly easier said than done, especially with teenagers in the house.

As we celebrate Father’s Day with our families, let us remember that Christ was human just like we are and when we walk by faith he will be with us always. We would like to think that we have the internal strength to do this on our own. However, those with experience will remind you that it is a lot easier to handle the stresses that come along with children if we invite God along with us for the journey.

Men like to think of themselves as the big tree or bush described in the readings today, and there is nothing wrong with that. The tree and bush only stand upright and withstand the wind and the elements with a healthy root system. We need to be rooted in our faith, strengthened by the Eucharist and continually ask God for the strength to shade those around us from the blazing sun that we see in society today. Fathers I ask you how healthy your root system is?