Matthew 13:18-23
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You are to hear the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom without understanding, the evil one comes and carries off what was sown in his heart: this is the man who received the seed on the edge of the path. The one who received it on patches of rock is the man who hears the word and welcomes it at once with joy. But he has no root in him, he does not last; let some trial come, or some persecution on account of the word, and he falls away at once. The one who received the seed in thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this world and the lure of riches choke the word and so he produces nothing. And the one who received the seed in rich soil is the man who hears the word and understands it; he is the one who yields a harvest and produces now a hundredfold, now sixty, now thirty.’
We’ve all heard the parable of the sower which Jesus told to the crowds just a little before this passage. I’m sure you’ve heard this explanation before as well. But it’s worth reflecting on – which of these can we see in our lives? Honestly, for myself I’ve seen all of these.
When I first learned about Jesus it didn’t really take root in my heart properly. When hard things happen I’ve felt the pull of despair – how can I believe in a loving God when terrible things happen? I’ve never been all that tempted by the riches of the world, but that doesn’t always mean that I’m properly focussed on God’s word either. For me it’s family – balancing the needs of my children with what God asks of me can be hard.
But! When I do listen and understand (not perfectly) my life is enriched, and so is that of my family and my community. To live according to God’s word is a gift. My joy is vastly increased and my ability to help others is well beyond what I can do by myself.
If you feel like the one on patches of rock, or as if you are choked by thorns or distracted by the world, don’t give up. Gad hasn’t given up on you, and there is always time to take the word of God into your heart and produce that rich harvest for your life.
Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne
Matthew 13:16-17
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Happy are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear! I tell you solemnly, many prophets and holy men longed to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.’
Today is the feast day for Saint Joachim and St Anne, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Neither saint appears in the bible, but tradition tells us that they were an old couple of great faith when Anne became pregnant with Mary.
It was believed that the child of an elderly mother with no hope of having children would be destined for great things. Examples of other women having children lkate iun life include Sarah, Abraham’s wife, Samuel’s mother Hannah and John the Baptist’s parents.
Certainly in these events we can see God at work in a way that the prophets and holy people longed to see.
While we seldom have God working obvious miracles in front of us we are lucky to have the witness of people like Anne and Joachim who clearly saw God working in their lives. Knowing that can help us see the subtler ways that God is still working in ours today.