Third Wednesday of Ordinary Time

The sower sows the word. These are the ones on the path where the word is sown. As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once and takes away the word sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who, when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy. But they have no roots; they last only for a time. Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word, but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.

God constantly scatters the seeds of His Word onto the soil of our souls. How we receive His message is up to us. Some of us allow Satan to take away our belief in God and His Divine Truths. Others of us harden our hearts to God’s calling so the seeds of faith never take root in us. Still more of us are in the midst of the thorns of anxiety, fear, doubt, temptation, and the like and let our worldly worries choke the good we could and should do. A few of us are like rich soil, we hear the word, accept it, and go forth into the world to bear fruit in God’s Holy Name. However, during our lives we are not always the same type of soil. Some days we are fruitful, but other days we let the thorns of the world strangle the good we could have done. When our souls are becoming thorny, rocky, or trodden by sin, we should seek help from our family, friends, and neighbors, but also from the Church and its sacraments, especially Reconciliation and Communion. These two sacraments restore and sustain us. Reconciliation tills the soil of our soil, breaking up its hardness and weeding out those temptations and sins that choke our faith. This prepares us to not only receive the Word of God, but also the Bread of Life and Wine of Salvation. Together, these sacraments replenish our souls and make them ready to bear good fruit again and again.

How do we receive God’s Word into our lives? How can we prepare the soil of our souls to accept God’s Divine Grace so we can bear good fruit? Do we make use of the sacraments, especially Reconciliation and Communion to maintain and sustain our faith?

O Lord, we hear and accept your word and with your help we will bear much fruit.

Amen.