July 16, 2023

Dear Parishioners,

I’ve always loved Vincent Van Gogh’s 1888 painting of the Sower (see below). It seems almost elementary, with the big sun and its rays and what not, but it is quite deep.

I’ve found myself praying with Van Gogh paintings lately. You might try this some time. You can go on YouTube, especially if you have a nice TV, and pull up his paintings. It’s actually quite relaxing and a spiritual exercise.

When you spend five minutes or more with one particular painting, you begin to notice the features. You see the brush strokes in the wheat field or sky, for instance. You muse on the path that seemingly disappears into the field. You wonder about the wooded area in the background off to the right. You make the connection to the birds and think perhaps this was what our Lord was referring to when he said “And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up.” You begin to speculate and ask questions… is the field meant to resemble water? Is the sower walking on water? Is the sower clinging to his sack of seed like a child?

This is akin to what happens when we pray. If we treat prayer like a ‘flash in the pan’ – just go to Mass or pop out a rosary – then it’s like seeing the picture as a whole for a second. Yes, it’s nice, but we miss the detail. If, however, we spend more time in prayer, and allow ourselves for some space and the ability to be still and receive, then we start hearing more from our Lord. You should definitely try this some time.

“A sower went out to sow,” says our Lord to start his most famous parable. Pray with that. Let the image of the sower, perhaps aided by Van Gogh, strike you. Let the Holy Spirit prompt you to notice some features of the parable and perhaps lead to some musings and questions.

Here are some: Why did the sower go out to sow? Was he compelled to by the nature of his work and the time of year (this is just what farmers do)? Or did he want to go out? Was there something enjoyable and life-giving about scattering seed abundantly and haphazardly? How would I scatter seed? Would I care more about where it fell? Might I even pick up the seed that didn’t fall on fertile soil (but then how would the birds be fed)?

It’s a great painting and a great parable. They’re dynamic, and the interpretations can never be exhausted. Nor is one interpretation right and another wrong. Perhaps this is how we are meant to view the work of evangelization.

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Please mark your calendars for a Farewell Mass in Honor of Adrienne Timm on Sunday, August 27th at 10:30am. We will have a reception afterwards in the gym to celebrate Adrienne.

I will be away this week on my annual vacation with my priest-friends. This is a trip we take every year. These are priests from different dioceses (Alabama, Kansas, and Pennsylvania) and the one chance a year we get to see each other, so it’s always a good time. I will be keeping you all in my prayers while I am away. I will leave this Tuesday and return next Monday, July 24th.

Please note, there will be no Scripture Seminar this Wednesday, July 19th. We will resume next Wednesday, July 26th.

Yours in Christ,