Traditional Catholic Teaching - FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. St. Matthew 6: 28.

Many men who reject the revealed Word of God turn their attention to nature, and maintain that the contemplation of its beauties awakens within them feelings of devotion. This is quite possible, as God speaks to us through all His creatures, but whoever listens only to their voices can never attain to a true knowledge of God. If it were otherwise, no one would know Him better than the savage tribes, who are born under the shade of ancient trees and grow up surrounded by the wonders of nature. It is true that God's voice is heard in nature, but it is easily misunderstood, if no other call is heeded. We see this in the case of the Greeks and Romans, who indeed perceived the presence of a Divine force in the rustling of the leaves, the soughing of the wind, the ripple of the brooks and rivers, as well as in the roar of the waves, but they made the mistake of ascribing each single phenomenon of nature to a distinct deity. The voice that speaks to us through nature is intelligible only if God has previously spoken to us through revelation. This was the case in Paradise, where natural beauties, far surpassing any that we know, appealed to the hearts of our first parents; but all the sweet sights and sounds would have remained unintelligible, had not God Himself, as we read in Holy Scripture, instructed Adam.

Whenever, therefore. guided by God's hand and by His holy religion, we go forth into the open country, the voice of nature makes itself clearly heard and we understand its meaning; it leads us to God, and not away from Him. This is true, not only when we are walking amidst beautiful scenery, but whenever we examine any natural object, or study the natural sciences, which are really useful only if we are guided by a true recognition of God's power.

In to-day's Gospel we read how Christ told His disciples to look at nature: "Consider the lilies of the field." He did not refer to things necessary for the maintenance of life, such as corn, but He pointed to the lilies, the wild flowers that adorned the meadows. "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow." As far as you know they serve only to delight your eyes, and yet God preserves them; small and insignificant as they may be, they are evidence of His infinite love, for He even takes care that their beauty and fragrance shall be a source of joy and refreshment to His children. Let the sight of wild flowers remind you to be grateful to God for His infinite love and kindness. You ought not merely to look at them and be pleased with them, nor gather them only to forget them and throw them away; no, you ought to consider them attentively and learn a lesson from them. In obedience to God's will, the tiny plants grow from the seed, and shoot up, putting forth little buds that gradually unfold and become beautiful blossoms. They grow until they have fulfilled the purpose for which they were created.

Thus, says our Saviour, should you learn from the lilies of the field to accomplish the task for which you were created – just as the flowers attain their physical perfection, so ought you to try to attain your spiritual perfection, and constantly advance toward it. God has implanted in you a tendency to struggle up¬ward, and there should be no interruption in your spiritual growth and progress on the way to heaven. This is the lesson to be learned from the lilies of the field and from every tiny flower. We show our gratitude to our merciful God best by conforming to His holy will. Therefore let us go forward, let us continually rise higher, and then we shall be acting in accordance with His bidding, which makes itself known to believers through the flowers of the field.

Just as the lilies of the field grow without labouring or spinning, so do we grow spiritually by God's grace. Without Him we can do nothing, but by the help of His grace we can accomplish anything. The flowers cling with their roots to the earth, whence God supplies them with nourishment, and we, too, must cling with all our might to His grace, which alone enables us to grow and prosper. We must co-operate with grace, and then we shall continue to advance towards heaven; this fact is revealed to us in the character of that Lily to whom the Church applies the words of Holy Writ: "As the lily among thorns, so is My love among the daughters" (Cant. 2: 2).

We all know this beautiful Lily, surpassing all other human beings in purity and goodness; she was addressed by the angel as blessed among women. In comparison with her all others are like thorns, but she alone was always free from even the smallest taint of sin. We all know and honour the name of Mary, and if we think of her, we may assign a second meaning to the words, "Consider the lily," and remember how she grew in grace and in God's favour throughout her whole life. She was full of grace and the Lord was with her, and she merited extraordinary graces by never failing to make good use of all the grace that she received; she co-operated zealously with it, and thereby attained to the glory that she now enjoys in God's garden in heaven. Yes, let us often look at Mary, the Lily beside the throne of God; and whenever we utter or hear her name, let us call to mind that her only aim was to grow and increase in virtue and perfection. May her holy name encourage us, too, to do our best to make progress in all that is good; not to stand still nor to slip back into lukewarmness and indifference, but to press forward and upward, always advancing on the way to heaven. May the most holy Virgin Mary, the Lily among thorns, obtain us grace to act thus to-day and always. Amen.

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