Each year, my wife and I plant a vegetable garden in our backyard. It is about 8 feet by 16 feet in size.

We religiously weed, water, and fertilize it through summer, and then, starting around September, we let it continue on its own, without giving it much attention.

At some point each October, we then remove the remaining vegetation and weeds, and we leave the soil barren until the next planting, which usually gets scheduled to be completed in May of the following year.

This last Saturday, I was removing that overgrowth. Much to my pleasant surprise, I found a handful of small pumpkins, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes still growing beneath what appeared to be an island of weeds.

This made me think about our spiritual lives. We give special attention to our spiritual wellbeing at certain times of the year, and then we may be tempted to coast while waiting for the next special Church Season, like Christmas or Lent, at which time we plan to start purposely removing those things in our lives that can keep us from being closer to God.

When we remove that overgrowth, we find priceless treasure. We discover an even closer relationship with our loving Lord. May we all focus on this important part of our faith journey.



By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek