bring many hundred bushels home, so that I should have had enough to support myself and my family for years. Now I alone, amongst all the neighbors, must go away empty handed, and see all the others grow rich, while I have nothing. So might that man complain under such circumstances, although his condition is not by any means a desperate one, since he can make up by increased diligence next year what he lost. How would it be with him if he had not a single grain of seed, nor any credit or other means of procuring any, so that he has no prospect before him but perishing of hunger with all his family? And that because he neglected to cultivate his land, because he was unwilling to work! How great would not be his remorse, his sorrow, nay, his despair?
The time of this life is given to us as the seed of eternity. My dear brethren, now to my subject; “the present time,” says St. Jerome, “is the time for sowing;”[1] the time that God has given us to work out our salvation. The seed is the use we make of that time; “the seed of eternity,”[2] as St. Bernard calls it. The fruit cannot be hindered in its growth by bad seasons, heat or cold, rain or inundation, wind or weather, worm or insect. It all depends on how we sow the seed, that is, employ our time.
That should bear everlasting fruit. If it is well sown, if our time is well employed, what fruit may we expect? A hundred bushels perhaps from a single grain? My meaning is: suppose, O mortal, that but one moment is granted you in this life, how much do you think you can gain by it, short as it is? A hundred thousand acres of land? That would be a great deal to your mind, and at that rate you would become rich in a quarter of an hour. But after all it is nothing; it would be altogether too trifling a gain from such precious seed as a moment of time. For you must look far higher, and expect much more. What then? A kingdom? No; more than that. The whole world with all its wealth and riches? Ah, if you had gained it and nothing more by your one moment of time, you would have reason to complain and call yourself foolish for not having employed your time better. For everything that passes with time is not worth time. Tell us, O holy Apostle St. Paul, what thou thinkest of the value of time. “That which is at present momentary and light of our tribulation, worketh for us above measure exceedingly an eternal weight
