What Are You Growing?

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Have you ever planted something? Maybe a flower, a vegetable, or even just watered a houseplant. You know one thing: whatever you plant is what eventually grows. Today’s first reading from the prophet Hosea reminds us of that simple truth. God says to His people: “Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap steadfast love.”

Think about that for a moment. If I plant tomato seeds, I don’t expect mangoes. If I plant weeds, I shouldn’t be surprised when my garden is full of it. The same is true of our spiritual lives. Every choice is a seed. Every word is a seed. Every habit is a seed. And one day, those seeds become the harvest of our lives.

Hosea speaks to the people of Israel when they were successful on the outside. They had wealth. They had vineyards. Things looked good. But their hearts had slowly drifted away from God. That can happen to us too. Sometimes we think that because life is busy, productive, or even comfortable, everything must be fine. But God is always looking deeper. Not just at what we are doing… but at who we are becoming.

Then comes one of the most beautiful lines in the reading: “Break up your fallow ground.” What is fallow ground? It is land that has become hard because it has not been cultivated. Rain falls on it, but it cannot soak in. Seeds are scattered, but they cannot grow. Isn’t that a picture of the human heart? Sometimes disappointment hardens us. Sometimes sin hardens us. Sometimes pride, resentment, or indifference slowly makes our hearts like dry ground.

The good news is this: God never says, “Throw the field away.” He says, “Break it up.” In other words, let Me work on your heart again. That is what conversion is. It is allowing God to soften the places we have closed off.

Maybe today God is asking us: Where has your heart become hard? Is it in your family? Toward someone you refuse to forgive? In your prayer life? Or maybe you’ve stopped expecting God to do something new in you. Hosea gives us hope because he says, “It is time to seek the Lord.” Notice he doesn’t say, “Tomorrow.” He says, “It is time.” Not when life gets easier. Not when we feel holier. Not when we have everything figured out. Now.

Because every day we are planting something. The question is: What are we growing? Every small act matters because every seed matters. And when we allow God to cultivate our hearts, He promises a beautiful harvest – not always success by the world’s standards, but something far greater: a life filled with His love, His peace, and His righteousness.

So today, let us ask ourselves: If my life today is the harvest, what seeds have I been planting? And what seed is God inviting me to plant today?

Prayer: Lord, You know every corner of my heart. Where it has become hard, soften it. Where I have planted selfishness, help me sow love instead. Teach me to seek You today, not tomorrow. May every word, every choice, and every action become a seed that bears fruit for Your Kingdom. Amen.

– Homily by Rev Fr Patrick Agbeko