The Moso bamboo is a plant that grows mostly in China and the far East. This bamboo is the largest of the cold-hardy bamboo, growing to a height of 75 feet with a diameter of eight inches. When this Moso bamboo is planted, there is no visible sign of growth occurring for up to 50 days, even under ideal conditions. Then, like magic, it suddenly begins to grow to its full height of 75 feet within 42 days. This rapid growth is due to the miles of roots it has developed during those two months of the dormant period of preparation.
The Holy Bible speaks about the parable of the seed and the sower (Mat 13:1-23). The parable speaks of seeds that fell on the path, rocky ground, among thorns, and fertile soil. The seeds that fell on the path were picked up by birds, on rocky ground could not survive due to lack of soil, the thorns choked the ones fell among thorns, and those that fell on the fertile soil produced a plentiful harvest.
The fruitily and productivity of any kind of harvest are based on the quality of the seed and the soil. The best quality seed cannot make any harvest if it falls on rocky ground, and poor-quality seed on fertile soil either. The seed and the soil are equally crucial in our context here.
“In human lives, the quality of these seeds and the environment we grow are essential. God is the producer of all seeds in cooperation with human beings, and the seeds are always good enough, even though He makes some changes sometimes with specific challenges in view of sharing a message and opportunities for others.“
God never creates junk beings, only human beings with the necessary uniqueness. They all have their own beauty and smartness, and it is undoubtedly God’s work. But our part is only to make the soil ready, by tilling it well, manuring, and watering when and where needed.
This preparation of the soil has to take place in three levels in the life of every human person. They are namely, with God, with families, and with society. This preparation is exclusively our works as individual persons to make the harvest rich. The Moso bamboo is apparently in a dormant stage for all most half of its growing time, and then it shoots out, showing itself proving its power, strength, and glory. It all happens only due to this dormant preparation time when it lets its roots to grow and become healthy.
For us, as human beings to be happy and prosperous requires a well-grounded growth and development as solid men and women, who can grow and become strong in all these three levels of our existence. Only then can we thrive on producing an abundant harvest lest we live our lives on a survival mode producing the very minimum yield. A plentiful harvest means growing and blooming physically, spiritually, emotionally, psychologically, socially, economically, culturally, and all the areas of a person’s life.
We live today in a world where there is a need to reexamine every moment the quality of our soil to produce abundant harvest as there are possibilities and opportunities everywhere around us where this soil can be poisoned by what is d going on around us or even sometimes within us. Being in union with God, our families, and others healthily and appropriately are essential for the plentiful harvest. The measure of our mindfulness is the measure of the quality of our harvest!
Lovingly,
Fr Tomy Puliyan, MSFS
“Holiness and Happiness through Wellness and Wholeness”
Fr. Tomy, thank you for explains the Gospel of the 15th Sunday in Ordinary times in such a lucid manner. Your last line spells it all. We have to be mindful of our existence and how we react especially in these tough times. It is our relationship with Jesus and the circumstances in which we choose to live will decide the strength of our lives.
This was great! Thank you for this reflection!
That’s true. Jesus used to escape from crowd and meditated and prayed for few Weeks before every miracle he did!