A Life of Abundance

Reflection on the Gospel for July 26, 2023

In the Gospel for today, we hear Christ telling the Parable of the Sower to the multitudes. In reflecting upon this gospel, we must remember the words of Christ which bring the parable to a close: “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matt. 13:9 DRB) This reminds us of the importance of being open to Christ and His grace in order that He may work in us. We must always be seeking the truth. For Christ came in order that man might find the truth. As He says to Pilate in Scripture, “For this was I born, and for this came I into the world; that I should give testimony to the truth. Every one that is of the truth, heareth my voice.” (John 18:37)

In this gospel, Christ first speaks of the seeds that falls along the wayside which the birds came and ate. This represents a person who does not understand the word of God; this person loses that which is sown in his heart to the evil one. We then hear of the seeds that fall among stony ground. When the sun comes up, these were scorched and withered away, since they had no root.  These, Christ says, “…sprung up immediately, because they had no deepness of earth.” (Matt. 13:5) This represents a person who for a time takes root, but then falls away due to tribulation and persecution. Next Christ speaks of the seeds which fall among thorns and are choked by them. This represents those who, though hearing the word of God at first with joy, become fruitless due to the care and pleasures of this world. Lastly, Christ speaks of the seeds which fall upon good ground having heard and understood the word. Christ says that these“…beareth fruit, and yieldeth the one an hundredfold, and another sixty, and another thirty.” (Matt. 13:23)

In listening to Christ’s words, we should truly examine our own life. We must be honest with ourselves and look at our lives as Christ would. How are we living our day-to-day lives? Do we remain focus on God’s Will amidst all the trials and tribulations with which we meet? Is Christ the center of our lives? Here we are reminded of the importance of regularly receiving the Sacraments and having a deep prayer life. Without remaining close to God, it is easy to be deceived by the world. One cannot recognize the voice of his Shepherd unless he remains close to his Shepherd. We must persevere in our goal of living for God, Who is the ultimate purpose of our lives, and not be distracted by the many trials and cares which the world offers. Again, we hear Christ’s call to abandon all in order to follow Him, to live the world behind and live for Him alone. Only then will we truly bear fruit. As Franciscan Jacopone of Todi writes,

“In losing all, the soul has risen

To the pinnacle of the measureless;

Because it has renounced all

That is not divine,

It now holds in its grasp

The unimaginable Good

In all its abundance,

A loss and a gain impossible to describe.”