On good ground
April/May 2021
by Msgr. Douglas Grams
Diocesan Administrator
Most of us have an awareness of being visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learners. I am a note-taker, which is a
combination of all three, although listening is my preferred style. Last year our annual diocesan priests’ retreat was
via Zoom, and we looked like members of the Brady Bunch but less photogenic. We gathered virtually for two
conferences a day. It was fruitful, but an in-person retreat is preferable to a virtual retreat. On April 11-15, I joined
the priests of the diocese for our annual retreat at King’s House in Buffalo, Minnesota. The priests enjoyed the
opportunity to gather for prayer, reflection, and fellowship. Our retreat director this year was Fr. Charles
Lachowitzer, vicar general for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. The theme of our retreat was “The
Parables of Jesus: Envelopes of Truth.” What follows is a summary of my notes during those five days.
The Parables show us how the stories of our lives intersect with the life of Jesus. The parables of Jesus give us a
great deal of information. Throughout the retreat, Fr. Lachowitzer spoke about how the parables are given to us in
the form of a letter in an envelope. The outside of the envelope indicates whom it is intended for and who it is from.
The content inside the envelope is the message. They are letters of truth addressed to each of us. Parables have
many layers. We hear the parables of Jesus often proclaimed during Mass on the Sundays and weekdays of the year.
We hear things differently each time they are presented to us, depending on the circumstances in our life.
Parable of the Sower (Mt 13:1-23, Mk 4:1-10; Lk 8:4-15)
In Jesus’ day, patches of good soil were scattered throughout the Holy Land. As Messiah, Jesus is the sower. We are
sowers like Jesus, who brings the joy and good news of the gospel to those around us. As Catholic Christians, we
believe there is good soil in everyone. The parable calls us to conversion so that our harvest may be 30, 40, or a
hundred-fold. For reflection: What is growing in the garden of my soul? Where are good things growing in the souls
of people around us?
Parable of the Ten Virgins
(Mt 25:1-13)
The parable calls us to active waiting as we shine our light in the world, in the darkness, and on ourselves. All of us
experience a period of waiting during Advent in anticipation of the Incarnation. In the parable, we are called to be
prepared for the second coming of Jesus. In this parable, the oil is the fuel required for a flame (i.e., light). The cost
of the oil equals our faithful lives as we live out the gospel. For reflection: Recall the abundance of oil in your own
life. Where am I a smaller light among my brothers and sisters in order to conserve my oil? Why do I conserve my
oil? Where do I allow my light to shine?
Parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk 10:29-37)
In the parable of the Good Samaritan, we are presented with a man who has been robbed, beaten, and in need of
assistance. Following the purity laws found in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, it is no surprise that the priest and
the Levite avoid coming near the wounded man. Purity laws required a quarantine for seven days and social
distancing before they could take part in rituals at the temple. The Good Samaritan responds to human needs. For
reflection: We are all in need of healing. How am I like the robber’s victim on the side of the road? Am I willing to
have Jesus heal my wounds?
