Reflection for July 23 Wednesday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time: Matthew 13:1-9

Gospel: Matthew 13:1-9

Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore. And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up.  

Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

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Reflection:

Where do you take refuge when life’s trials hit you? 

Surely, you do not take refuge in this world, with its passing comforts and empty promises. Instead, you take refuge in Jesus. In Him, you find solace for your restless heart, hope in your darkest hours, and strength to carry on. After resting in His embrace, you rise again, ready to face life’s trials and challenges with a spirit renewed by His love. 

When we take refuge in Jesus, we naturally find ourselves drawn to prayer, to attending Holy Mass, to visiting Him in the quiet of the Adoration Chapel, and to immersing ourselves in His living Word through the Bible. Yet, let us not stop at simply performing these acts of devotion. Let us allow these sacred encounters to transform us deeply, so that when others look at us, they no longer see just us—they see Jesus shining within us. In this way, we draw them closer to Him, the source of true peace.

 

But how can others see Jesus in us? How can we bring them closer to His Sacred Heart? It begins when we allow ourselves to become like the seeds that fell on rich soil, ready to grow, bear fruit, and bless others. We can only do this if we surrender to Jesus and allow Him to transform us, for this is His desire for each of us: to become the seeds that fall on rich soil and yield a harvest for His Kingdom. 

At the end of each day, the choice is still in our hands: will we allow Jesus to transform us into the seeds that fall on rich soil? We have nothing to lose—and everything to gain—when we become docile to the desires of Jesus, letting Him cultivate our hearts so we may bloom into instruments of His love, hope, and light in this world. 

May we allow Him to make our hearts His dwelling place, so that our lives may draw others to His infinite mercy and love. – Marino J. Dasmarinas