The seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it.

Following is my reflection on the gospel for the Friday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time. The scripture can be found at http://usccb.org/bible/readings/072420.cfm

I think that we all can relate to the different types of responses that Jesus is talking about in today’s parable. The seed that Jesus is referring to in this parable is the word of God that each of us hears from our Lord through prayer and reflection on the word of God: The Bible. Each day that we attend Mass we hear the scripture proclaimed to us to help us grow in our relationship with God. The Church encourages us to take time out of our day to meditate on these readings to grow in maturity in our relationship with the Lord. Taking a few minutes each day to sit down and reflect on them can help us grow ever closer to God as He speaks to us through the Holy Words of Scripture.

But with the different cares and anxieties in our lives, we don’t always respond in a good and positive way to what God may be trying to teach us through scripture. It all depends on where we may be at any given time in our lives.

There are times when we hear the Words of Scripture and we really don’t understand what God may be telling us. We become frustrated that we don’t understand the scripture we are reading and how it applies to our lives. It’s as if “the Evil One comes and steals away what was sown in our hearts.”

Then there are times when we joyfully hear what God is telling us, but as soon as a problem distracts us from the Word of God, we fall away from God to dwell on whatever it is that is distracting us from our relationship with Him. This is also the case when we have worldly anxieties and the temptations of riches that takes our attention away from God and our devotion to Him. It’s very easy to get caught up in things of the world rather than continue to grow in our relationship with our Creator.

Finally, in the parable Jesus talks about the rich soil. These are the times in our lives that we listen to the Words of God and it seems easy to apply his Love and mercy in all aspect of who we are. We take the word of God and attempt to live it with Love for God and Love of our neighbor.

Let us not loose heart if there are times when we seem to be away from God and not open to what he is trying to teach us. Instead let us place our cares and concerns in God’s hands to help us through those tough times. He will be there for us.

Lord Jesus, thank you for your presence to us in scripture and help us to yield fruits that will bring us closer to you each day of our lives. Amen.