From stumps and stones — The work of hope

Earlier this summer, one of our staff members noticed something surprising in the rock bed by our main entrance: a tomato plant sprouting between the stones.

No one knows how it got there — a seed carried by the wind, perhaps, or a tomato accidentally dropped from a neighbor’s grocery bag — but there it was, vulnerable yet determined.

Our staff member grabbed another colleague and together they transferred the plant from the rocks to a flowerpot full of rich soil in our Community Garden where it grew tall and produced fruit in early autumn: bright red cherry tomatoes.

I thought of this little plant again on Giving Tuesday, after hearing the daily Mass readings four times — in an Amen app reflection, during our agency’s contemplative prayer time, in an Advent email from Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), and finally at Mass that evening. 

Despite my tendency to focus mostly on the Gospel during prayer, that day, the First Reading from Isaiah (11:1-10) took root in me.

Isaiah begins with an image as unexpected as a plant sprouting from rocks: “On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.”

From what looks lifeless — a stump, a rocky patch of ground — God brings new life.

He brings hope.

Isaiah then paints a picture of the world restored by God’s Spirit: “Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid.”

It’s a paradoxical image for us, yet it points to the vision of harmony made possible by God’s transforming love — enemies reconciled and the vulnerable protected.

This is the world God desires and what we’re called to help build.

Recently, that vision has felt especially urgent.

On Nov. 1, during the federal government shutdown, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits paused — impacting more than 650,000 Missourians, including working families, seniors, children and military households.

At Catholic Charities of Central and Northern Missouri (CCCNMO), our Food Pantry immediately saw the effects.

This November, 111 more households visited compared to last year, and we distributed an additional 4,917 pounds of food.

Like the tomato plant rescued from the rocks, our neighbors often come to us from difficult, rocky situations.

At Catholic Charities, we strive to provide the soil — resources, compassion, and community — that allows them to grow, then thrive.

One Saturday in September, during a Food Pantry opening with only one staff member and one volunteer, our neighbors did just that.

Seeing the need, they stepped up: calling numbers, pushing carts, bagging groceries and helping one another with grace and joy.

Just as our neighbors supported each other, our broader community across the Diocese of Jefferson City supported them during SNAP’s pause.

The Apostle John exhorts us, “If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him? Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth” (1 John 3:17-18).

In November alone, volunteers contributed 34 more hours than last year, and the Food Pantry received an extraordinary 5,877.5 additional pounds of donated food.

St. Peter Church in Jefferson City donated over 900 pounds, and St. Peter School collected more than 3,000 cans and $3,800.

Immaculate Conception Parish, also in Jefferson City, spread the word about our need for bread.

Jefferson City Area Young Professionals gave food, diapers, and funds.

Compass Health Network contributed 287 pounds of food.

F3 of Jefferson City combined their workout with service, donating 182 pounds.

Hunters shared venison through the Share the Harvest program.

And CCUSA’s Emergency Food Appeal brought fresh produce and pantry staples.

Each donation — those named here and many others from individuals and organizations — made a real difference in the lives of our neighbors.

One woman, who’d been impacted from the food shortage for weeks, said in awe, “I get eggs this time.”

Every pound of food donated, every hour volunteered was love made visible — deeds and truth, not just words.

That joy, that relief, that hope is the plant pushing through the rocks, the shoot sprouting from the stump.

It is Christ revealing himself through Scripture and through his people, restoring life from death.

So, thank you — to our neighbors, our community, and our diocese for stepping forward in generosity.

Your witness reminds us to trust in the Lord’s promise, “For I know well the plans I have in mind for you…plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).

The work of hope is ongoing.

Your support, whether through time, talent or treasure, helps neighbors move from the rocks to the soil needed to grow and thrive.

Visit cccnmo.diojeffcity.org/give/ or cccnmo.diojeffcity.org/volunteer/ to learn how you can help.