30/09/2019

Good morning. With the autumn arriving I’m gearing up for my annual battle with the sycamore trees that live next door. It’s not the trees themselves that are the problem – I rather like them – but their seeds. A mature sycamore tree can apparently throw out 10,000 seeds every year and if I am not mistaken, most of the local ones head for my modest garden. If I don’t collect them in the autumn – I’ll be digging out tiny trees for most of next year. 
I sometimes wonder just how many of these seeds do actually ever become trees. But that doesn’t stop them from trying. I find that kind of determined optimism impressive and inspiring. Because there seems to me to be an even deeper lesson here. If I only ever did things where I was sure of getting a positive result – I wouldn’t get much done. Whether we have faith or not, I reckon the best of us are those who do good and loving things in service of others with no thought about the possible results. At best, we should do those things simply because they’re the right things to do. I think that might be what the Apostle Paul had in mind when he wrote to the Galatians: “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.” Like the sycamore tree – we need to be tireless and optimistic, holding on to the knowledge that doing the right thing in the right way and for the right reasons brings its own reward. I’m reminded of the wellknown prayer of St Ignatius 
Teach us, good Lord to serve thee as thou deservest,to give and not to count the cost;to fight and not to heed the wounds;to toil and not to seek for rest to labour and not to ask for any reward;except that of knowing that we do thy will. Amen