THE FALLING OF THE WHEAT GRAIN

SATURDAY, SEVENTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

Reflection from Friar Nicholas Okeke, OP 

Jer 26:11-16,24; Ps 69:15-16,30-31,33-34; Mt 14:1-12

The falling of the wheat grain into the Earth

Trials and persecutions are inevitable when we embark on the way to answer the vocation of God. We receive our vocation to be prophets and proclaim his word to others. But the most important part of the vocation is to accept the word of God within our hearts. Thus, our vocation is to receive, contain, and transmit the word to others. We receive the word for ourselves, for our sanctification and salvation. The word is our heavenly bread, which comes with trials and persecutions, which God allows to facilitate its insertion and germination in our hearts. Our Lord Jesus mentioned these accompanying trials in the parable of the Sower when he explained the seed on patches of the rock as those without depth: “Let some trial come, or some persecution on account of the word, and he falls away at once.” This picture describes the difficulty of our vocation to God. The persecution comes because of the word of God we have received. Because the word of God is light, its coming into the region of darkness attracts opposition from darkness. John described opposition in the prologue to his Gospel 1:5. God allows this opposition to the implantation of his holy word because of his divine justice, by which he allowed us to live in region of darkness due to disobedience of Adam and Eve. Thus, the struggles by which we open ourselves to the word of God confirm our willingness to be with God.

These trials and persecutions on account of the word are what we have earlier described as the necessary sunshine and rainfalls that the heavenly Father gives to all equally to ensure the fruition of his holy word in each of us. But while the trials and persecutions make the saints grow strong and fruitful, they destroy the wicked in the sense that they cause the seed of the word of God planted in them to die. What makes the saints wax stronger amid trials and oppositions is the faith with which they embrace the word of God and the generous and copious resources (especially time) they sacrifice to attend to the word. The alleluia verse says as much. “Blessed are those who, with a noble and generous heart, take the word of God to themselves and yield a harvest through their perseverance.” This generosity is evident in the way Jeremiah handed himself to the priests and prophets who came after his life for the proclamation of the word of God in the Temple of Jerusalem. “For myself, I am as you see in your hands. Do whatever you please or think right with me. But be sure of this, that if you put me to death, you will be bringing innocent blood on yourselves, on this city and on its citizens, since the Lord has truly sent me to you to say all these words in your hearing.” This response is replete with faith and trust in God, which the prophet has developed with constant communion and interaction with the word of God.

The gospel gives us another example of perseverance in trials and persecutions. John the Baptist came in the fiery spirit of Elijah and devoted himself to the vocation he received from God. His witness to the truth landed him in Herod’s prison. He looked forward to Jesus Christ to rescue him and felt despondent that the Saviour was not forthcoming. He must have resigned his fate to God when he sent his disciples to Jesus Christ, and they came back with words of encouragement only. His death at the hands of Herod confirmed the fact that John had finished his work, and God was letting him fall into the earth like a wheat grain. Our Lord did not save him because he was to fulfil the will of the Father by dying at the hands of Herod. The death of John helps us understand that our vocation is not yet complete until we truly become a wheat grain sown into the earth. Jeremiah and John the Baptist generously offered their lives to the word of God, completing their vocation. We must grow our faith in the word of God to the extent it penetrates the darkness of death into the eternity of divine light. Only grace achieves this in us. We pray daily and very often for the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary to aid us when the darkest trial comes. “Save me from the waters of the deep lest the waves overwhelm me. Do not let the deep engulf me nor death close its mouth on me.”

Let us pray: Grant us, Lord, the grace to believe firmly in your divine word that we may truly have a heavenly life within us, and unfailing hope in the fulfilment of the promise of eternal life you made to us in the Gospel. Holy Mary Mother of God pray for us now and at the hour of death.