10 When Yeshua was alone, the people around him with the Twelve asked him about the parables. 11 He answered them, “To you the secret of the Kingdom of God has been given; but to those outside, everything is in parables, 12 so that
they may be always looking but never seeing;
always listening but never understanding.
Otherwise, they might turn and be forgiven!”[Mark 4:12 Isaiah 6:9–10]
13 Then Yeshua said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How will you be able to understand any parable? 14 The sower sows the message. 15 Those alongside the path where the message is sown are people who no sooner hear it than the Adversary comes and takes away the message sown in them. 16 Likewise, those receiving seed on rocky patches are people who hear the message and joyfully accept it at once; 17 but they have no root in themselves. So they hold out for a while, but as soon as some trouble or persecution arises on account of the message, they immediately fall away. 18 Others are those sown among thorns — they hear the message; 19 but the worries of the world, the deceitful glamor of wealth and all the other kinds of desires push in and choke the message; so that it produces nothing. 20 But those sown on rich soil hear the message, accept it and bear fruit — thirty, sixty or a hundredfold.”
Saint Angela Merici, Virgin (Optional Memorial)Hear this! (Mark 4:3)
When a naval commander issues urgent or serious information, he barks out, “Now hear this!” It means stop what you’re doing, and listen carefully to what follows.
Jesus uses strikingly similar words in today’s Gospel reading. He wants everyone listening to pay careful attention to what he is about to say: “A sower went out to sow …” (Mark 4:3).
Perhaps you’ve wondered which group you belong in: the footpath, rocky ground, thorny soil, or rich soil. But Jesus wasn’t establishing a hierarchy of spirituality. All three of the first types of soil proved equally unhealthy to the seed. No, Jesus wanted to tell his hearers that in the kingdom of God, everyone’s life can be rich soil. Those outside the kingdom receive everything “in parables,” God’s gentle nudges intended to move them toward the kingdom (Mark 4:2). But those who have entered the kingdom have the capacity to receive insights about God that remain hidden from those who have yet to embrace the Lord.
Your life is rich soil! It has been prepared—by your training in the faith, your reception of the sacraments, and your prayer life—to receive the “seed” that falls on it, and to produce fruit. Do you hear the word of God? Well, accept it wholeheartedly the best you can, and allow the Holy Spirit to make it bear fruit in your life. When you become aware of how you may fall short, declare: “My life is rich soil.” Then ask the Holy Spirit to fertilize that area of your life so that it begins to bear fruit.
Ask the Lord to sow seeds of patience, gentleness, or peace in you. Ask him to provide you with whatever will cause these seeds to grow. Moments of kindness, flashes of wisdom or understanding, impulses to show hospitality—these are not random events. They are evidence that your life is good soil.
So when any Scripture passage resonates in you or stirs your heart, hear this. Heed it and dwell on it. You are more than capable of bearing rich fruit!
“Jesus, help me to hear your word and accept it with all my heart so that I will bear fruit for you.” Amen!
2 Samuel 7:4 But that same night the word of Adonai came to Natan: 5 “Go and tell my servant David that this is what Adonai says: ‘You are going to build me a house to live in? 6 Since the day I brought the people of Isra’el out of Egypt until today, I never lived in a house; rather, I traveled in a tent and a tabernacle. 7 Everywhere I traveled with all the people of Isra’el, did I ever speak a word to any of the tribes of Isra’el, whom I ordered to shepherd my people Isra’el, asking, “Why haven’t you built me a cedar-wood house?”’
8 “Therefore say this to my servant David that this is what Adonai-Tzva’ot says: ‘I took you from the sheep-yards, from following the sheep, to make you chief over my people, over Isra’el. 9 I have been with you wherever you went; I have destroyed all your enemies ahead of you; and I am making your reputation great, like the reputations of the greatest people on earth. 10 I will assign a place to my people Isra’el; I will plant them there, so that they can live in their own place without being disturbed any more. The wicked will no longer oppress them, as they did at the beginning, 11 and as they did from the time I ordered judges to be over my people Isra’el; instead, I will give you rest from all your enemies.
“‘Moreover, Adonai tells you that Adonai will make you a house. 12 When your days come to an end and you sleep with your ancestors, I will establish one of your descendants to succeed you, one of your own flesh and blood; and I will set up his rulership. 13 He will build a house for my name, and I will establish his royal throne forever. 14 I will be a father for him, and he will be a son for me. If he does something wrong, I will punish him with a rod and blows, just as everyone gets punished; 15 nevertheless, my grace will not leave him, as I took it away from Sha’ul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Thus your house and your kingdom will be made secure forever before you; your throne will be set up forever.’” 17 Natan told David all of these words and described this entire vision.
Psalm 89:4 (3) You said, “I made a covenant with the one I chose,
I swore to my servant David,
5 (4) ‘I will establish your dynasty forever,
build up your throne through all generations.’” (Selah)
27 (26) He will call to me, ‘You are my father,
my God, the Rock of my salvation.’
28 (27) I will give him the position of firstborn,
the highest of the kings of the earth.
29 (28) I will keep my grace for him forever,
and in my covenant be faithful with him.
30 (29) I will establish his dynasty forever,
and his throne as long as the heavens last
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