In the back of his house, my dad has a space that includes a garden, about a third of the area. The rest is paved, and in one corner, he has a built-in grill.
I have many memories of spending time there. My dad loved to grill meat for us, his family. He enjoyed it so much that it was almost a family ritual. From choosing the cuts of meat, preparing the potatoes and onions, to my mom making the rice and beans. Of course! Tortillas, salsa, and limes were essential.
That space was the setting for anniversaries, birthdays, graduation celebrations, spontaneous parties, or get-togethers for no particular reason. Although I didn’t like having to help clean up, we always ended up with smiles on our faces and very, very happy bellies.
As time went on, the frequency of that family ritual decreased. My brother and I left home to begin our adult lives, and for my parents, living alone, things were different.
Although the backyard wasn’t used in the same way, my parents lovingly and attentively cared for the space. They made sure the garden was always well-maintained and that the barbecue area was free of excessive dust.
Recently, my dad told me how he noticed some areas where the grass hadn’t grown for a while. The rest of the area has grass covering the ground.
One way my dad honors my mom’s memory is by taking care of the garden, which she loved so much. That’s why he decided to find a way to make the grass grow in those areas.
He told me he asked the gardener to loosen the soil and bring seeds and fertilizer.
The gardener brought what was needed and told my dad what he needed to do to make the grass grow well.
Several weeks later, my dad told me how the grass was starting to grow in almost all of those areas, except for one. It turned out that one corner wasn’t growing the same.
Has it ever happened to you that you don’t get the desired result or fruit from your initial efforts?
When he mentioned it to the gardener, they agreed that he would loosen the soil again to plant new seeds. The gardener asked my dad to be especially careful when watering, to use a gentle stream, like rainwater, because if he watered with a strong gush, the seeds could be washed away.
My dad’s age gives him a perspective on life that I obviously don’t have. As simple as it may seem, it wouldn’t have occurred to me to loosen the soil again to try to get the seeds to germinate and the grass to grow in those areas where it had stopped growing.
In Scripture, Jesus tells us in the Parable of the Sower how the seed that falls in different places doesn’t produce the same fruit.
What kind of fruit are you bearing today? What kind of fruit do you long to bear?
After several more weeks, the grass did begin to grow, now in every space.
Like in my dad’s garden, if there are areas in your life where you long for more abundant fruit, would you be willing to let go or loosen some “tight” situations?
Could the changes in your life be a way for God to “turn over the soil” in your life so that you may bear more fruit?
If the Spirit leads you, share with Jesus the carpenter whether there will be a need to “remove the soil” where you long for fruit. And perhaps you will discover an invitation to “loosen” or release “tight” areas.
Marisol
P.S.: We can hear about the parable of the Sower in the readings for the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year/Cycle A.
P.S. 2: We can learn to help the seed sprout in the Christian Spirituality course offered by the Center for Religion and Spirituality this coming fall of 2026, offered in Spanish
