SPIRITUAL LIVING
Prayer and Devotions
Finding Fertile Ground
by Father Jason Wallace, LC
Resolution: Identify one vice you have and make an effort to get rid of it during the next week.
January 30, 2008
Wednesday of the third week in ordinary time
Mark 4:1-20
“Again he began to teach beside the sea. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the sea and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.’ And he said, ‘Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’ When he was alone, those who were around him along with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, ‘To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside, everything comes in parables; in order that 'they may indeed look, but not perceive, and may indeed listen, but not understand; so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.’ And he said to them, ‘Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. But they have no root, and endure only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are those sown among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, but the cares of the world, and the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing. And these are the ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.’"
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe I am called to bear fruit for your kingdom. I believe you want to use the fruits of my garden to enrich the lives of others. Thank you for allowing me to realize that I must always prepare the way for you so that you can work your mysteries of love through me. I hope always to be your humble servant. I love you, for you are my God.
Petition: Lord, enrich my life with your grace so that I can sow your love in my neighbor’s heart.
1. Making Time for Others “Again he began to teach.” A key element in getting Christ’s message out to others is being with them. Everyone is so busy these days. People say they have no time for others because life is so overwhelming. If we simply sit, listen to others, and then give them Christ’s message either through our words or actions, we will see change. For example, when a dad spends time with his children to play, pray, do homework, etc. – in sum, being what he is, a dad – the difference is amazing. Sometimes the goal is not just being with your children to be doing things, but being with them to form them. Christ made time for others not just to be pals, but to be a father, friend, teacher, savior and brother.
2. Sowing the Seed Before seeds can grow, they have to be scattered on the ground. It is beautiful to see souls who continually live in the presence of God and see every encounter with others as a means of evangelization. For them, everything – from a simple smile to a deep discussion about our faith – is an opportunity to scatter the seed of Christ’s truth and goodness. Christ needs us to be the ones who sow the seed. We know some of it will fall on unfertile ground. That should encourage us to sow even more so as to find that one place of fertile soil in another’s heart. Christ never ceases to invite us to his friendship; we should never tire of being his instrument, even though we labor for many years.
3. Fertile Ground It is like a breath of fresh air when we see the seed of faith fall on fertile ground. We must never forget, though, that before the ground can become fertile, it must go through a long process of being cleared of stones, weeds and bushes. We are on our way to having the right dispositions to accept Christ wholeheartedly, but as long as we are on this earth, we will have to work continuously to rid ourselves of our sins and vices and put on love and the virtues. As in all beautiful gardens, we have to continue to enrich the soil and rid it of weeds as we work to harvest the crop.
Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, I know that so many people do not take the time to prepare the way for you. Help me always to be conscious of your love, and never allow me to be a wasteland. I want to love you with all my heart and bring that love other people.
Resolution: I will identify one vice I have and make an effort to rid myself of it during the next week.
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