Beside a stream of living water
Stands a tree of God’s blest people
Its roots run deep, from those before us
By grace, it grows by grace,
The . . love of God . . a bounding
Did you catch the reference to trees in the 1st reading, the Psalm and in the gospel? Trees are important. Did you know that there is now scientific evidence to prove that trees communicate with each other? The research has been made popular by Peter Wohlleben, a German forester and author who wrote a marvelous book called The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate.
Apparently trees in the forest, of the same species, have their roots intertwined and they communicate and even help each other for example with fighting diseases, insects, or draught. Some call it the “wood-wide web.” I know . . . it all sounds so crazy. But there’s even evidence to prove that trees will also communicate with trees of other species.
What I like about this, it that it shows ONCE again: the power of a community, or a group. Just as many species depend on one another for survival . . . schools of fish, flocks of birds, and herds of mammals. There is a safety and wisdom when we don’t do life alone.
So in the gospel, when Jesus says that a good tree doesn’t bear rotten fruit, or a rotten tree bear good fruit . . . he could be referring to the INTERCONNECTION that we have with one another.
That together we strive to be the best forest that we can be, with healthy trees bearing healthy fruit. That forest could be . . . your group at school, your bowling team, your card club, your family. There are all sorts of groups.
And actually in Lent, we will be offering opportunities for you to be part of small group (just for 5 weeks) where you read some ideas about the upcoming Sunday readings and talk about them. I’ll say more at announcement time.
Anyway, listen to this carefully . . . I strongly believe that EVERYONE DESERVES SOMEONE WHO KNOWS YOU COMPLETELY. A pal, a friend, a spouse, a family member . . . . anyone, or any group of people who you can be completely honest with.
This is so vital in many areas, but particularly on this weekend, the Bishops of the United States have given this weekend a name called SAFE HAVEN weekend. They have asked all parishes to look at a crucial topic . . . that is, the use of pornography. I know, it’s a yucky topic. But it is also a real concern and problem for many men, women, young adults, teens and even pre-teens.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines pornography this way: Pornography consists in removing real or simulated sexual acts from the intimacy of the partners, in order to display them deliberately to third parties.
Pornography is not new, but the easy access to inappropriate images is new. So we have inserted in the bulletin this weekend, an excellent pamphlet called, RAISING CHASTE CHILDREN IN A PORNOGRAPHIC WORLD. Please read it and talk about it . . . especially you parents, start talking about these things to your children!
Now I know that the Catholic Church has gone through some rough times lately. And some of you might want to quote the verse we just heard in the gospel . . . for us church people to take out the wooden beams from our eyes, before we can talk about the speck in your eye. But even with the bad actions of a few church people (from every denomination) there is still wisdom in the values and principles that we want to pass onto you.
So here’s my challenge for you . . . EVERY ONE DESERVES SOMEONE WHO KNOWS YOU COMPLETELY. Find your someone. Maybe for you kids it’s one of your parents, or both of them. Maybe for you married persons, it is your spouse. For all of you, it certainly can be the trust and acceptance that occurs in the sacrament of reconciliation (which we are having our Parish Wide Reconciliation Service on Wednesday, March 13 with many priests present). But seek out and find a someone who you can be completely honest with . . . and talk . . . about your experience, or challenge or understanding of pornography.
I find that the first step for anyone to stop being addicted, or stop being consumed by it . . . is honest AWARENESS and SHARING about what is going on in your life.
For just a tree, we can think that we are alone, but the reality is that we are all in this together. And just as trees are connected, the healthier that each one of us can be . . . the healthier all of will be.
O tree of life, O tree of glory
May our witness tell God’s story.
For all who follow in the future
By grace it grows by grace
The . . love of God . . a bounding