The Gospel we have just heard is one of the longest of Our Lord’s parables but it needs a minimum of explanation because Our Lord explains it for us. God is the farmer sowing the seed, the seed is his word, and you and I are the soil.
The Sower is unusual. He tosses the seed liberally, recklessly, to the point of being wasteful…contrary to all agricultural common sense. The seed falls on all types of soil, So, it’s no surprise that the seed goes to waste in bad areas. But the seed that takes root in good soil produces a super-abundant amount of fruit –a hundred, or sixty, or thirtyfold.
Jesus is revealing something beautiful about God—that God is lavish in generosity. Moved by a rather reckless love, he is persistent in his efforts to draw us to himself. He sows his message of life and salvation everywhere to reach all people—to reach us…to take root in us.
Yet, notwithstanding his generosity, the Sower gets mixed results for his efforts because the conditions of the soil are different. The quality of the soil, which is the soil of our mind and heart is different in each person.
For weeks, Millie dropped hints to her husband Mike that she would really like a Prada handbag for her birthday. Mike found pictures of the purse on his pillow, taped to the bathroom mirror, and the steering wheel of his car. Millie even sent him an email with the link to purchase the gift. On the morning of her birthday, Millie found a beautifully wrapped gift on the breakfast table. Excitedly, she tore off the wrapping to reveal an air fryer! What went wrong? Laura’s message was clear and persistent but George’s heart and head were not receptive.
Today Our Lord asks us, “What kind of soil is in our field?” How receptive is the soil of our mind and heart?
Is it a hard-trod path, where the seed remains lying on the surface with no possibility of taking root…a shut mind, an unteachable, disinterested spirit?
Is our soil shallow—making us enthusiastic for a time but quickly losing heart when the going gets tough?
Is the soil thorny and overgrown where weeds overpower the good seed because of the worries of daily life, distractions, and other interests and concerns?
We must strive to become soil that is good and receptive. We could do this in three ways:
Being especially receptive to what Scripture reveals to us, especially the teachings that challenge us to change. “If Sundays don’t change our Mondays, what’s the point?”
Break up the stones of sin and bad habits. One of the best ways to do this is through sacramental confession which offers everyone a new beginning.
Maintain a spirit of detachment, which is to say: Get rid of excessive baggage, those things that have a grip on us, especially technology and social media that consume so much of our time leading us away from prayer, from God, and from the needs of our neighbor.
Divine Master, how can your word be effective when it is received by a thorny heart, a heart constantly reflecting on what happened yesterday and anxious about what will happen tomorrow, a heart tainted by sin, a heart that is restless. I think about many things that keep my mind from you. I concern myself with things that do not bring me closer to you. But I know Lord that your word has power and that it can transform my distracted heart and mind so that it can produce abundant fruit. May it shape my thoughts, renew my mind, and guide my decisions. Help me nurture the seeds of Your Word in the soil of my heart, trusting that You will bring forth a bountiful harvest for your glory and in service to my brothers and sisters.
