Liturgical day: Saturday 24th in Ordinary Time
Gospel text (Lc 8,4-15): As a great crowd gathered and people came to him from every town, Jesus began teaching them through stories, or parables, «The sower went out to sow the seed. And as he sowed, some of the grain fell along the way, was trodden on and the birds of the sky ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, and no sooner had it come up than it withered, because it had no water. Some fell among thorns; the thorns grew up with the seed and choked it. But some fell on good soil and grew, producing fruit —a hundred times as much». And Jesus cried out, «Listen then, if you have ears to hear!».
The disciples asked him, «What does this story mean?». And Jesus answered, «You have been granted to know the mystery of the kingdom of God. But to others it is given in the form of stories, or parables, so that seeing they may not perceive and hearing they may not understand.
»Now, this is the point of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the wayside are people who hear it, but immediately the devil comes and takes the word from their minds, for he doesn't want them to believe and be saved. Those on the rocky ground are people who receive the word with joy, but they have no root; they believe for a while and give way in time of trial. Among the thorns are people who hear the word but as they go their way, are choked by worries, riches, and the pleasures of life; they bring no fruit to maturity. The good soil, instead, are people who receive the word and keep it in a gentle and generous mind, and persevering patiently, they bear fruit.
«The good soil are people who, persevering patiently, they bear fruit»
Fr. Lluís RAVENTÓS i Artés
(Tarragona, Spain)
Today, Jesus tells us about the sower that «went out to sow the seed» (Lk 8:5) and that seed was nothing else but the «the Word of God». But «the thorns grew up (...) and choked it» (Lk 8:7).
Thorns, we have many. «Among the thorns are people who hear the word but as they go their way, are choked by worries, riches, and the pleasures of life; they bring no fruit to maturity» (Lk 8:14).
—My Lord, Am I to blame for having worries? I wish I would not have any, but they keep on coming to me from everywhere! I do not see why they should deprive me from your Word, if they are not sin, vice or defect.
—Because you forget that I am your Father and you are being enslaved by a to-morrow you do not even know whether you will ever reach!
«If we would learn to live by trusting more in the Divine Providence, assured —with a strong faith!— of its daily protection that never fails us, how many worries and fears should not we avoid! All those chimaeras, that in Jesus' words are normal to the pagan world, to the worldly men, would simply disappear (cf. Lk 12:30), of the persons who are missing a supernatural feeling (...). St. Josemaria tells us: «I would like to engrave in your forehead with fire that we have all the reasons to walk with optimism through this world, with our soul getting rid of some many things that look absolutely necessary, for your Father knows what you actually need! (cf. Lk 12:30), and he shall provide».
David said: «Cast your care upon the Lord, and He shall sustain you» (Ps 54:23). This is what St. Joseph did during the great prove: he pondered, he consulted, he prayed, he resolved and left everything in the hands of God. When the Angel arrived, he did not dare to wake him up and spoke to him in his dreams.
Anyway, «I must have no other concern but your Glory..., in short, your Love» (St. Josemaria).