June 18, 2025 // Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: 2 Corinthians 9:6-11
Reflect on the Word //
I found myself crying in a coffee shop, moved to tears by a story of hope. The bustling sounds of the crowd disappeared into the background as I read a gripping account of an atomic bomb survivor and blurted out impressive facts about him to my sister as she worked across the table.
“This guy was a radiologist in Japan, a convert from atheism to Catholicism, and lost his wife in the Nagasaki bombing.” I continued, “He already had leukemia, and spent the rest of his life serving the victims of the bombings and writing about God’s providence and forgiveness.”
His name was Takashi Nagai, a man who managed to harvest an abundance of faith, hope, and peace from seeds sown into the lifeless ashes covering his hometown, including the burned body of his beloved wife.
I doubt he could imagine anything bountiful coming from the horrendous catastrophe that destroyed the lives of 8,000 people instantaneously. You see, when he walked through the sea of his deceased neighbors and friends he chose to forgive, he chose to keep loving, and he ultimately chose to turn his suffering into a sacrifice of praise. He spent the rest of his life helping bomb victims as a physician, writing and speaking about the importance of forgiveness, sowing lasting peace and healing into the hearts of a severely wounded country.
Yet, in today’s First Reading, Saint Paul reminds us that those who sow seeds bountifully “will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6). The Lord calls us all to a generosity with the gifts He has given us, especially in the face of trials. It may be hard to see or believe at times, but God can and will make something beautiful out of the seeds we choose to bravely offer Him. Seeds like humility and faith when we’re tempted to believe that our ways are better than God’s. Seeds of peace and mercy when we would rather hold on to bitterness and anger.
Is this not the vocation of every Christian? To lay down our life, one seed at a time, until God masterfully redeems each one, harvesting beauty for ashes.
Relate to the Lord // What seeds is the Lord calling you to sow in this season? Entrust them to Him.
Jana Zuniga Pingel is an artist and designer based in Colorado Springs, where she resides with her husband. She earned her B.A. in Studio Art from Saint Mary’s College in South Bend, Indiana. She is the founder and owner of January Jane Shop, an online boutique for Catholic art and goods. When she isn’t busy doing entrepreneurial things, she’s cooking a new recipe, hiking a mountain, or party planning.
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