Jesus told a story about the many kinds of faith journeys people experience. His image of God is that of a sower striding along a stretch of ground. In long regular sweeps of his arm he throws the seed far and wide. That seed represents all of the many ways in which God communicates with and gives grace to us.
A seed falls on the roadway beyond the soil line. A bird comes and the seed is gone. A seed falls among rocks where there is just a thin layer of earth. It grows but it has no nourishment, so it dies. A seed falls among thorns, struggles to grow, succeeds partially, and is overcome. Finally, a seed falls in good rich earth and there are magnificent results.
In a sense, the whole story is true of each of our lives. From birth to death, God communicates with us, fostering our growth, guiding, inspiring, calling. Because we are human we go through periods and circumstances when we become each of those places in the story where the seed of God tries to grow. We can be the path beyond the soil line. That may be a stage in our lives when other influences, some of them actually evil, can snatch from us any link with God. We can become the rocky ground, a person full of initial enthusiasm. But if there comes a time when our allegiance to God becomes costly in any way, we fade out. We can be the place of thorns. We encounter God. It affects us deeply, but something more attractive comes along and we go in that direction. There are many shiny, tempting options in today’s world to make us do just that. Finally, we can become good soil. We encounter God. We grow in Christ, and we respond to God. God becomes the foundation of our lives. We find that life in Christ can be far more satisfying than those other shiny, attractive options. We pray today that you and I can be the ground which receives the seed, leading to a bountiful harvest, enriching our lives and all those around us. Good news indeed!
Peace,
Fr. Bob+
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