On Sunday, July 20, 2014, I returned to my boyhood parish "where it all began".
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Here, I returned to give thanks to God in Holy Mass and was blessed to give the homily. I also wanted to say thank you to the parish.
The Gospel was on the parable of the mustard seed. This was VERY fitting for me since this is where a seed was planted in me.
My son recorded my homily. The first few minutes were cut off so I just pasted the text of the homily below.
Thank you, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Milpitas, California!
Homily #2 (12:30pm Mass)
Deacon Dennis’s Homily: 16th
Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Kingdom of God is Like a Seed
(Mt. 13)
As a married
deacon, I have kids. A few months ago,
we were eating apples at the family table.
I cut one of the apples with a knife and showed them a seed inside. I said slowly, “The kingdom of heaven is like
this apple seed.” Their eyes were wide
open. I had them touch the seed and
said, “It is really small now, but later it becomes a BIG apple tree.” The kingdom of God is like a seed.
My name is Deacon Dennis, and I am visiting you today. You see, St. John’s parish was my first parish when I was a teenager and a youth. I happily returned to the practice of my Catholic faith here as a teen. That was in 1987, around 25 years ago. Like that apple seed that I used for the kids, St. John’s is where the seeds of the Kingdom of God were planted, took root and were nourished. I live in Vallejo, and I am assigned to St. Catherine’s parish there. But I am here today to give thanks to God and to remember my roots. And I give thanks to God for the gift of you, the parishioners of St. John the Baptist parish church.
I was ordained only three weeks ago. It was here at this parish that the seeds of being a permanent deacon and also being married were planted, like today’s Gospel. In a particular way, my thoughts turn to the youth and young adults present here today. My thoughts also turn to parents, but let me address the youth and young adults first. It is to you, dear young people, that the words from the Gospel this afternoon are especially directed. Do not be afraid to follow Christ! Do not be afraid to share your Faith, even when it is unpopular. Do not be afraid to give your lives totally to Him—in matrimony, in the blessed single life, as a priest, brother or sister. As the Second Reading from St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans reminds us, “The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness.”
Let the seed that has been planted in you, especially in your Baptism, take root in your soul with the help of the Spirit at Confirmation. At Baptism, faith, hope and love were planted, and Confirmation strengthens this grace. But this seed of faith needs to be watered and nourished. And for us the seed is watered with the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation (Confession). It starts small, but when it is full-grown, it becomes the large part of fulfilling God’s plan to redeem the world and God’s mission for each one of us.
But how does one plant seeds? Well, there are two ways. The first is through witness and example. As I teenager, I remember the St. John’s parish Deacon Eugene O’Sullivan and his wife Lois who planted seeds. They planted seeds through action without many words. In fact, I don’t remember anything that was said between us. I do remember holding the candle as an altar server for Deacon O’Sullivan (right here 25 years ago). I remember how he placed his hand on the Book of Gospels so that he wouldn’t lose his place. I remember his suspenders and reading glasses. I remember Lois who sat in that pew right over there. She always closed her eyes when the Word of God was being read. I could see her from my chair as an altar server. (Oh, don’t worry, she wasn’t asleep. Oh no. She would open her eyes during the Responsorial Psalm.) They planted seeds through their witness and action.
In addition to action, the kingdom of God comes through words, too. I remember Edgar and Lulu Villanueva who planted seeds in my heart from the Legion of Mary. One day, when I was 16, Bro. Edgar spoke to me and somehow the issue about deacons and matrimony came up. I told him that I was attracted to this way of life and that I wanted to serve God as a married man. He simply affirmed me and said “yes.” And it was that simple. Lulu would teach the youth prayers of the holy rosary. They planted the seeds of the kingdom through their words. It takes someone from the parish to simply ask, “Hey, have you ever thought about this or that” to a young person seeking God’s will for them. I know three young girls who entered a convent just this year alone. Remember, vocations to priesthood and religious life have to be nurtured. They don’t grow on trees! It comes from you, God’s holy people. Just as Jesus announced the Kingdom of God through parables and miracles, we His Church plant seeds of the Kingdom through words and actions.
And in my final story to illustrate the Gospel, brothers and sisters in Christ, I turn to those of us who are parents. Or those who in some way are entrusted with youth. How can parents concretely plant seeds of the Kingdom of God? Well, parents are the “principal and primary educators of their children” (Catechism #1653) in the Faith. They are the first teachers of handing on the Gospel to their children.
One concrete way to plant seeds is to teach them prayers from their earliest years. I remember my mom teaching me night prayer when I was 5 years old to me and my sister, Michelle. It felt odd kneeling and making the Sign of the Cross. And we chuckled. But we were still taught to pray, “Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. Watch me all through the night. And wake me with the morning light.” I remember how my mom would take me to Mass even though sometimes I didn’t want to go. But she still brought us to Mass. I remember my dad taking me to CCD even though I didn’t want to go. (In fact, in my 5th grade CCD class, I disrupted the class as much as I could. And here I am a teacher and catechist now.) But he still brought me to CCD to learn about God. The point, dear parents and even godparents, is to bring your children to Sunday Mass and CCD. It starts by planting seeds.
And for older parents whose children may have left the faith for whatever reason, first pray and then use words and actions to invite them back home to the Church and the table of the Lord. Let them know that something is missing when they are not present at Sunday Mass.
My name is Deacon Dennis, and I am visiting you today. You see, St. John’s parish was my first parish when I was a teenager and a youth. I happily returned to the practice of my Catholic faith here as a teen. That was in 1987, around 25 years ago. Like that apple seed that I used for the kids, St. John’s is where the seeds of the Kingdom of God were planted, took root and were nourished. I live in Vallejo, and I am assigned to St. Catherine’s parish there. But I am here today to give thanks to God and to remember my roots. And I give thanks to God for the gift of you, the parishioners of St. John the Baptist parish church.
I was ordained only three weeks ago. It was here at this parish that the seeds of being a permanent deacon and also being married were planted, like today’s Gospel. In a particular way, my thoughts turn to the youth and young adults present here today. My thoughts also turn to parents, but let me address the youth and young adults first. It is to you, dear young people, that the words from the Gospel this afternoon are especially directed. Do not be afraid to follow Christ! Do not be afraid to share your Faith, even when it is unpopular. Do not be afraid to give your lives totally to Him—in matrimony, in the blessed single life, as a priest, brother or sister. As the Second Reading from St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans reminds us, “The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness.”
Let the seed that has been planted in you, especially in your Baptism, take root in your soul with the help of the Spirit at Confirmation. At Baptism, faith, hope and love were planted, and Confirmation strengthens this grace. But this seed of faith needs to be watered and nourished. And for us the seed is watered with the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation (Confession). It starts small, but when it is full-grown, it becomes the large part of fulfilling God’s plan to redeem the world and God’s mission for each one of us.
But how does one plant seeds? Well, there are two ways. The first is through witness and example. As I teenager, I remember the St. John’s parish Deacon Eugene O’Sullivan and his wife Lois who planted seeds. They planted seeds through action without many words. In fact, I don’t remember anything that was said between us. I do remember holding the candle as an altar server for Deacon O’Sullivan (right here 25 years ago). I remember how he placed his hand on the Book of Gospels so that he wouldn’t lose his place. I remember his suspenders and reading glasses. I remember Lois who sat in that pew right over there. She always closed her eyes when the Word of God was being read. I could see her from my chair as an altar server. (Oh, don’t worry, she wasn’t asleep. Oh no. She would open her eyes during the Responsorial Psalm.) They planted seeds through their witness and action.
In addition to action, the kingdom of God comes through words, too. I remember Edgar and Lulu Villanueva who planted seeds in my heart from the Legion of Mary. One day, when I was 16, Bro. Edgar spoke to me and somehow the issue about deacons and matrimony came up. I told him that I was attracted to this way of life and that I wanted to serve God as a married man. He simply affirmed me and said “yes.” And it was that simple. Lulu would teach the youth prayers of the holy rosary. They planted the seeds of the kingdom through their words. It takes someone from the parish to simply ask, “Hey, have you ever thought about this or that” to a young person seeking God’s will for them. I know three young girls who entered a convent just this year alone. Remember, vocations to priesthood and religious life have to be nurtured. They don’t grow on trees! It comes from you, God’s holy people. Just as Jesus announced the Kingdom of God through parables and miracles, we His Church plant seeds of the Kingdom through words and actions.
And in my final story to illustrate the Gospel, brothers and sisters in Christ, I turn to those of us who are parents. Or those who in some way are entrusted with youth. How can parents concretely plant seeds of the Kingdom of God? Well, parents are the “principal and primary educators of their children” (Catechism #1653) in the Faith. They are the first teachers of handing on the Gospel to their children.
One concrete way to plant seeds is to teach them prayers from their earliest years. I remember my mom teaching me night prayer when I was 5 years old to me and my sister, Michelle. It felt odd kneeling and making the Sign of the Cross. And we chuckled. But we were still taught to pray, “Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. Watch me all through the night. And wake me with the morning light.” I remember how my mom would take me to Mass even though sometimes I didn’t want to go. But she still brought us to Mass. I remember my dad taking me to CCD even though I didn’t want to go. (In fact, in my 5th grade CCD class, I disrupted the class as much as I could. And here I am a teacher and catechist now.) But he still brought me to CCD to learn about God. The point, dear parents and even godparents, is to bring your children to Sunday Mass and CCD. It starts by planting seeds.
And for older parents whose children may have left the faith for whatever reason, first pray and then use words and actions to invite them back home to the Church and the table of the Lord. Let them know that something is missing when they are not present at Sunday Mass.
Words and
actions—these are ways for all of us to plant the seeds of the kingdom. Jesus announced the Kingdom of God this
way—through parables and miracles, through words and deeds. Ponder this during the third luminous mystery
of the holy rosary where Jesus’s announces the Kingdom through parables and
miracles. The Second Vatican Council
taught in Lumen Gentium, “This gathering [around Jesus Christ who is the
Kingdom of God in person] is the Church which is “on earth the seed and
beginning of that kingdom” (no. 5).
So whether
it’s clergy like Deacon Eugene and his wife Lois through their witness, or parishioners
like Edgar and Lulu through their words, or parents like my Mom and Dad who
planted seeds, or St. John’s parish as a community, or even now by my showing
my kids the apple seed, the Kingdom of God is already present in seed form.
“The kingdom
of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when
full-grown it is the largest of plants.”
APA Citation:
Purificacion, Dennis (2014). "Homily #2: The Kingdom of God is Like a Seed (Mt. 13)" (Milpitas, CA: St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, July 20, 2014) from www.marysdeacon.blogspot.com blogged on Aug. 6, 2014.
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Your homily was very inspirational - praise the Lord!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Deacon Juan!
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