Roman Catholic The Word Among Us Daily Mass Reading & Daily Meditation for Wednesday, 28 January 2015

Roman Catholic The Word Among Us Daily Mass Reading & Daily Meditation for Wednesday, 28 January 2015
Meditation - Mark 4: A Story about a Farmer
1 The next time Jesus taught beside Lake Galilee, a big crowd gathered. It was so large that he had to sit in a boat out on the lake, while the people stood on the shore. 2 He used stories to teach them many things, and this is part of what he taught:
3 Now listen! A farmer went out to scatter seed in a field. 4 While the farmer was scattering the seed, some of it fell along the road and was eaten by birds. 5 Other seeds fell on thin, rocky ground and quickly started growing because the soil wasn’t very deep. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched and dried up, because they did not have enough roots. 7 Some other seeds fell where thornbushes grew up and choked out the plants. So they did not produce any grain. 8 But a few seeds did fall on good ground where the plants grew and produced thirty or sixty or even a hundred times as much as was scattered.
9 Then Jesus said, “If you have ears, pay attention.”
Why Jesus Used Stories
10 When Jesus was alone with the twelve apostles and some others, they asked him about these stories. 11 He answered:
I have explained the secret about God’s kingdom to you, but for others I can use only stories. 12 The reason is,
“These people will look
    and look, but never see.
They will listen and listen,
    but never understand.
If they did,
    they would turn to God,
    and he would forgive them.”
Jesus Explains the Story about the Farmer
13 Jesus told them:
If you don’t understand this story, you won’t understand any others. 14 What the farmer is spreading is really the message about the kingdom. 15 The seeds that fell along the road are the people who hear the message. But Satan soon comes and snatches it away from them. 16 The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it right away. 17 But they don’t have any roots, and they don’t last very long. As soon as life gets hard or the message gets them in trouble, they give up.
18 The seeds that fell among the thornbushes are also people who hear the message. 19 But they start worrying about the needs of this life. They are fooled by the desire to get rich and to have all kinds of other things. So the message gets choked out, and they never produce anything. 20 The seeds that fell on good ground are the people who hear and welcome the message. They produce thirty or sixty or even a hundred times as much as was planted.
Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church
The sower sows the word. (Mark 4:14)
Perhaps when you read or hear this parable, you focus on the different kinds of soils, or the environments on which the seeds fall. Maybe you even wonder which one of these soils best fits you, and you hope that you are like the good soil that produces abundantly. But how about seeing yourself as the sower instead? Maybe it’s worth considering how much God may want you to sow the seed of his word.
If there is one word that characterizes the sower in this parable, it is generous. This fellow spreads his seeds everywhere. He doesn’t seem all that concerned about where the seed will fall. He simply casts it to and fro.
Isn’t this a great image for how we should view evangelization? Shouldn’t we be generous, almost indiscriminate, in the way we share God’s word and his promises? We really shouldn’t worry about where the seeds may fall or the “soil quality” of those with whom we share the word. Whether, in our judgment, the ground is hard, weedy, thorny, or fertile shouldn’t matter. After all, it is the Lord who gives the growth, not us (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). All we have to worry about is sowing as generously as we can.
Think for a moment how many other seeds the world, the flesh, and the devil are sowing all around us. There’s nothing stingy in their tactics. How much more, then, should we counter all these poisonous seeds with the seeds of the gospel! The need is great, so don’t be intimidated! And by all means, don’t feel defeated or outnumbered! God has promised to be with you always as you spread his word.
So how are you going to sow today? What opportunities will you seize to spread the seeds of the gospel? They’re all around, after all. Keep your eyes open, as you ask the Lord to help you see ways you can creatively witness to his love. Who knows? He may even give you brothers and sisters in Christ who are just as zealous as you to proclaim the word, in season and out!
“Lord Jesus, make me a generous evangelizer and sower of your word in all kinds of soil. Fill me with zeal and courage to go forth and spread your seeds all over the world!” Amen!
Hebrews 10:11 The priests do their work each day, and they keep on offering sacrifices that can never take away sins. 12 But Christ offered himself as a sacrifice that is good forever. Now he is sitting at God’s right side,[a] 13 and he will stay there until his enemies are put under his power. 14 By his one sacrifice he has forever set free from sin the people he brings to God.
15 The Holy Spirit also speaks of this by telling us that the Lord said,
16 “When the time comes,
I will make an agreement
    with them.
I will write my laws
    on their minds and hearts.
17 Then I will forget
    about their sins
and no longer remember
    their evil deeds.”
18 When sins are forgiven, there is no more need to offer sacrifices.[Footnotes:
10.12 right side: See the note at 1.3.]
Psalm 110: (A psalm by David.)
The Lord Gives Victory
1 The Lord said to my Lord,
    “Sit at my right side,[a]
    until I make your enemies
    into a footstool for you.”
2 The Lord will let your power
    reach out from Zion,
    and you will rule
    over your enemies.
3 Your glorious power
will be seen
    on the day
    you begin to rule.
You will wear the sacred robes
    and shine like the morning sun
    in all of your strength.[b]
4 The Lord has made a promise
    that will never be broken:
“You will be a priest forever,
    just like Melchizedek.”[Footnotes:
110.1 right side: See the note at 16.11.
110.3 You will. . . strength: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.]
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