When a large crowd gathered, with people
from one town after another journeying to him, 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 trial.
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.
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Reflection:
How do you receive the Word of God? When
you open the Bible and encounter the very words of Jesus, do you pause to
reflect, discern, and let them speak deeply to your heart—so much so that you
feel compelled to share them? Or do you simply read them and move on, leaving
nothing eventful to blossom within your soul?
And when you hear the Word of God
proclaimed during Holy Mass, how do you respond? Do you allow yourself to be
moved by it so that it stirs you to live your faith more fully, to do good, and
to make a lasting impact on the lives of your fellowmen?
The words of Jesus are the seeds He
lovingly plants in our hearts. His expectation is clear: that we become
fruit-bearing followers, living witnesses from whom others can discover His
presence and the beauty of our faith. We are not called to be Christians in
name only, passively absorbing the Word of God without action. We are called to
bear fruit.
That is why we must share the words of
Jesus. The time, effort, and resources we spend in doing so are never wasted,
for He Himself promised that whatever we invest for the spread of His teachings
will be returned to us a hundredfold.
The Word of God is alive, powerful, and
life-changing—but only if we let it transform us. Will you allow the seeds of
His Word to take root in your heart today and bear fruit in your life, or will
you let them wither away in silence? — Marino J. Dasmarinas
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