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I just read a meditation about the importance of viewing our lives “as a libation”—-a phrase taken from 2 Timothy 4:6-7: “As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
Naturally, when I thought about ” libation” I thought of all the drinking I did back in the day when drinking libations was something I did with friends at first, and later by myself, to lighten “my spirit.” I read on….and, I am glad I did. I found out that “A libation in pagan ritual was drink poured onto the ground, offered to the gods—-‘wasted’ essentially for an invisible higher purpose”(Anonymous, 2013, Forward Day by Day, 79 (2): 62). So my past drinking of libations was a form of pouring libations/drinks down my throat—-wasting them for a selfish, eventually harmful purpose. There was very little ritual involved unless you can call toasting someone or something a ritual, and there was definitely nothing being consciously offered to God.
Thankfully, my life has changed. Looking back I can see that much of what I have done “for the good” in my life has been the type of libation pouring Paul referred to in the above quoted bible verse. The meditation I was reading emphasized although we sometimes feel our efforts have been wasted because we cannot observe the immediate results of them our efforts may actually lead to important outcomes in the future for those who come behind us.
Most of my adult life in recovery has been devoted to what I have thought of through the years as “planting seeds.” I plant ideas, hope, faith, and, yes—-on my better days—-love. I hardly ever see an immediate result other than a smile. I also know that many of those in early recovery who relapse may someday remember and nurture one of those seeds until it grows into active and prolonged recovery. Likewise, I have “planted seeds” in the depressed, schizophrenic, suicidal, hallucinating, cursing, angry, and aggressive persons I have dealt with as a “psychiatric nurse.” I sew similar seeds in the nursing students I teach with faith that their eventual outcomes will benefit future patients, including myself.
The meditation I was reading closed by emphasizing the outcomes of what we do are not important and that “finishing the race” and “keeping the faith” are important. This morning’s meditation had an important message for me: I need to keep planting seeds with faith that they will “bear fruit” in God’s time and in God’s way. I cannot make a seed grow. A growing seed is a magical gift from God. I hope I can keep doing my part by planting the right seeds.
What are your thoughts about your actions and efforts being a libation for God’s greater good? What role does “planting seeds” have in your life? Please share your comments. May God bless and keep you.
Living One Day at a Time 
Being in education is definitely akin to planting seeds, knowing there is little chance we will ever personally see the results or have the grown plant traced back to seeds or watering we ourselves did. It is an act of faith. This summer is the first time my gardening efforts have paid off in vegetables we are actually eating. What a pleasure to harvest the results, but I also am now in a position to realize that just the planting in years past, even though it didn’t culminate in what I wanted, was beneficial in itself and infinitely better than not planting.
Your comment made me realize how important it is to “keep doing the work” after we plant the seeds if we want them to grow..
As a child I got stuck with the daily chores of hauling rocks out of the garden and pulling weeds. I hated it and still don’t garden to this day. Maybe I’ll start!
Actually, I’m working with two flower beds this summer….I’ll see how those do.
Thanks for your comments!
We plant seeds that are watered by others. We water seeds that are planted by others. We may never see the fruits of our labor, but that is not the goal; our task is to be faithful to planting and watering. Fr. Al
Thank you for your comments. I totally agree. I think watering, weeding, and fertilizing planted seeds, regardless of who plants them, is symbolic of what Paul meant by keeping the faith and fighting the good fight.—-that faith and persistence in sharing God’s love are actually the important goals that give meaning to our lives.
I just have to remember to plant the seeds. Otherwise no growth will happen with the “seeds” and with myself. I plant the seeds; someone else does the watering and God is there to put it altogether for good.