Gospel: Luke 8:4-15
When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town after another
journeying to Jesus, he spoke in a parable.
“A sower went out to sow his seed.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled,
and the birds of the sky ate it up.
Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew,
it withered for lack of moisture.
Some seed fell among thorns,
and the thorns grew with it and choked it.
And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew,
it produced fruit a hundredfold.”
After saying this, he called out,
“Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”
Then his disciples asked him
what the meaning of this parable might be.
He answered,
“Knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God
has been granted to you;
but to the rest, they are made known through parables
so that they may look but not see, and hear but not understand.
“This is the meaning of the parable.
The seed is the word of God.
Those on the path are the ones who have heard,
but the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts
that they may not believe and be saved.
Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear,
receive the word with joy, but they have no root;
they believe only for a time and fall away in time of temptation.
As for the seed that fell among thorns,
they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along,
they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life,
and they fail to produce mature fruit.
But as for the seed that fell on rich soil,
they are the ones who, when they have heard the word,
embrace it with a generous and good heart,
and bear fruit through perseverance.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
The Mass intention is for Nicola Davies RIP.
Reflection:
Once again, we read the Parable of the Sower. Jesus explained that the seed is God’s Word and we are the paths to where these seed were sown. In our journey of faith, our hearts could be likened to a road, unable to let the Word grow in our hearts. Our hearts may have hard like a rocky ground or perhaps thorny. St John Henry Newman, commenting on today’s Gospel, wrote: “Make the most of the precious time. Delay not…If you are conscious that your hearts are hard, and are desirous that they should be softened, do not despair…He gives grace little by little. It is by coming daily into his presence, that by degrees we find ourselves awed by that presence and able to believe and obey him.”
- How do you look after the Word of God in your heart?
- How does the Word of God make you fruitful in your vocation?
- To whom are you sowing the Word of God? Why or why not?
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your Word today. Humbly we offer our hearts of stone to You. Change it into hearts softened and receptive to Your life-giving Word. Amen.
Sincerely,
Pietro
