I Want To Be The Good Soil

"A Farmer went out to sow his seed.  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.  Some fell on the rocky places, where it did not have much soil.  It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.  Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop -- a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.  He who has ears, let him hear.    Matthew 13:3-9


     When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was in his heart.  This is the seed sown along the path.


     The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.  But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time.  When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.


     The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.


     But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understand it.  He produces a crop, yield a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.   
Matthew 13:19-23

   This was the gospel reading at mass this weekend and I found myself identifying with each situation... at times, I'm the path and the Word of God lasts as long as I'm in church or for a short while at home while I'm pondering it and then is gone.  As if it vanishes amidst the daily chores of life.

   Other times in my life, I am the rocky place the seed has been sowed and I receive it excitedly and do not fall back on it when troubles arise.  I can become discouraged and try to handle the situation on my own, forgetting that I don't have to.

   There are different times when I am the thorns, and my own worries about how to do something or what others may think, stifle the Word of God and it bears no fruit.

   Not often enough, am I the good soil, that hears the Word of God and understands it, lets it take root to transform my life and bear fruit.  This is of course, what I want to be and strive to be and need to remember when life because stressful or busy.

God Bless,
noreen