Jesus is the Sower,

He spreads the seed of the word, calling all to repent and believe, for the kingdom of God is at hand.

The seed is spread indiscriminately, far and wide on all kinds of ground.

And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God."

we all understand that, don’t we?

Only those who have ears to hear will be able to understand the power of the story.

 

 St. Francis de Sales, bishop & doctor

 1st Reading: 2 Samuel 7:4-17

 

Ps 89:4-5, 27-28, 29-30 Forever I will maintain my love for my servant.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊

Mark 4:1-20

Again, Jesus began to teach by the lake; but such a large crowd gathered about him, that he got into a boat and sat in it on the lake, while the crowd stood on the shore. He taught them many things through parables. In his teaching he said,

"Listen! The sower went out to sow. As he sowed, some of the seed fell along a path; and the birds came and ate it up. Some of the seed fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil; it sprang up immediately, because it had no depth; but when the sun rose and burned it, it withered, because it had no roots.

 

Other seed fell among thorn bushes; and the thorns grew and choked it; so it didn't produce any grain. But some seed fell on good soil, grew and increased and yielded grain; some seed produced thirty times as much, some sixty, and some one hundred times as much." And Jesus added, "Listen then, if you have ears."

 

When the crowd went away, some who were around him with the Twelve asked about the parables. He answered them, "The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But for those outside, everything comes in parables, so that, the more they see, they don't perceive; the more they hear, they don't understand; otherwise they would be converted and pardoned."

 

Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How, then, will you understand any of the parables?

What the sower is sowing is the word. Those along the path, where the seed fell, are people who hear the word, but as soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.

 

Other people receive the word like rocky ground. As soon as they hear the word, they accept it with joy. But they have no roots, so it lasts only a little while. No sooner does trouble or persecution come because of the word, then they fall.

Others receive the seed, as seed among thorns. After they hear the word, they are caught up in the worries of this life, false hopes of riches and other desires. All these come in and choke the word, so that finally it produces nothing.

And there are others who receive the word as good soil. They hear the word, take it to heart and produce: some thirty, some sixty, and some one hundred times as much."

 

Gospel Reflection ：

"The soil needs to be prepared."

Farmers know very well that one of the most important stages in the entire planting process is the preparation of the soil. It has to be cultivated. It is only after its cultivation and when it has already been conditioned that farmers would normally begin sowing the seed. In the gospel today, Jesus taught the parable of the sower.

 

Some seed fell along the path, some on the rocky ground, some on the bushes while some on good soil. The seed that fell on good soil grew and yielded grains. Jesus himself explained the parable. The seed refers to the word of God. The good soil are those who hear God's word and take it to heart. What does it mean to take the word of God to heart?

 

The Greek verb paradechomai, which means "to receive," is used to describe the seed that fell on good soil. We simply need to accept God's word for it to yield fruits. How can we then be prepared to become good soil? Free ourselves of the things hindering us from receiving God's word such as anger and the likes. This kind of freedom is called conversion.