Homily from 3-9-25 with Song and Prayer

Tend the Ground.  What does it mean to tend the ground?  Farming is more than just planting and harvesting.  The field works also needs to be done.  The ground itself needs tending.  And so it is with our hearts.  It's so easy to take the easy road, to go through the motions, to keep a stony heart.  But this Lent, hopefully we aim for something more.  Hopefully we're ready to tend the ground in our hearts so they're ready for God to grow and transform us.

Beginning today's episode is the St. Joseph Choir in Elkader, IA singing Tend the Ground by Steven Curtis.  This is the song on which we'll focus over the next few weeks and referenced by Fr. John in his homily.  Permission to stream and reprint this content is granted under ONE LICENSE #A-626030.

Fr. John also referenced the prayer he wrote for Lent 2025, and recording of that is included at the end of today's episode.  The text follows: 

Dear Jesus, I come before you in these holy days and this is my request:

Help me tend the ground.

The ground is my entire life and indeed, it needs tending.

The weeds of distraction have overgrown my heart, and my sinful habits have produced a hard, well-worn path where your love cannot find a space to grow.

Help me tend the ground.

Plow through my apathy or my fear of change and break up the clods of pride and the need to be right.  Open up my mind and heart and plant your Word deep within, to grow and flourish.  Sharpen my awareness that I might see the small green shoots of hope sprouting up through the darkness of my rebellious heart.  Make of my life a fertile field yielding the fruits of justice and compassion and love. 

I come before you in these holy days of Lent and this is my request:

Help me tend the ground, that I might become the person you’ve called me to be.

AMEN.

~ Rev. John Haugen 2025