Psalm Reflection: The Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle A

“The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.” - Psalms 65

One of the ways we try to do our part and reduce waste is by composting. We were doing it on our own for a while, which was manageable but a lot of work. Then the law was passed in our state last year that all towns, cities, and counties need to provide compostable carts and associated organic waste collection services to all residents and businesses. I was so excited to get rid of my compost bins and not have to spend hours every week filling, emptying, cleaning, draining, burying, potting and planting it all. Then the community bin filled up, and was never emptied. it has been months and this full bin of food waste has become a festering colony of gnats and odors that no one wants to open or even go near.

When I read the Psalm for this Sunday, I thought of that neglected compost bin. I thought about the fact that even though there is some kind of horrifying growth and fermentation happening inside of it, it will still be able to make good soil when it is finally picked up (please, Jesus).

To have good soil in our spiritual lives does not mean that we are perfect. Composting can recycle even the most disgusting or discarded of materials and turn them into something even better for a seed than ordinary soil.

The same is true for us.

You may have heard of this phrase from the tech and business worlds: “it is not a bug, it is a feature.” This phrase describes the ways in which a company can turn a hiccup or a mistake and spin it to become an asset. 

A very old example of this is the Model T Ford. A hiccup or “bug” of the Model T was that you could only get it in black. In today’s world of independence and customization, we might see that as a flaw, but Ford highlighted it as a feature that allowed the car to be mass produced at the lowest cost possible so every average middle-class household could afford it. It was not a bug, it was a feature.

Your sins are not bugs, they are features. Without our sinfulness, we have no need of a Savior. Does that mean we try to keep on sinning because we receive more mercy? Of course not, but when we mess up or have moments of doubt, guilt, or shame, instead of sulking we can realize how great God’s mercy is to send His only Son to die for our sins.

You are not your past.

You are not your achievements.

You are defined by the Father’s love for you.

Your sins do not need to be obstacles, they can become opportunities for God’s grace to change you.

Your past need not provoke shame, let it be the battle ground for God to win victory in your life.

You are not defined by the worst thing you have ever done, but by the worst thing to ever done to Jesus: His torture and death for the forgiveness of your sins. God found you worthy of it.

Our wounds and sins can be healed and forgiven, but they do not completely disappear: they leave marks and scars. Jesus still had His wounds in His resurrected body as a reminder to us that our wounds can either be infected or they can be glorified, but they do not go away entirely.

Your past, your mistakes and your sins can all be offered to God’s mercy and they will be transformed into fertile ground in your soul so you are able to better respond to the seed of God’s word and to allow it to be more firmly rooted in your life.

What negative things in your life are waiting to be surrendered so that God can transform them into something beautiful for His glory?

In what ways do you need to let go and forgive yourself so God can lead you where He is calling you?

How can the story of your struggles bring healing and comfort to someone else?

In the words of Ricardo Sanchez: “The Devil knows your name but calls you by your sin. God knows your sin but calls you by your name.”

Do not let your life be defined by your mistakes. Jesus died because He wanted you to be completely free of them, so do not let the grace and forgiveness His death won for you go unclaimed.

Stop hiding from the garbage, sin and messiness or your past and present.

Repurpose it, and who knows what new incredible fruits will begin to grow in your life.

I am praying for you, please pray for me, and I will see you in the Eucharist.

Matt

This reflection is based on the Responsorial Psalm for this Sunday, July 16th, 2023, which is The Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle A: Psalms 65:10, 11, 12-13, 14.