Cultivating Good Soil

Gospel Reflection for Wednesday July 23, 2025

Icon of Christ the Sower

In today’s Gospel, we hear the parable of the Sower. In St. Matthew’s account of the parable, the Sower goes out to sow seed, and the seed fell on four different places. According to St. Thomas Aquinas, these four places correspond to the three virtues we must possess in order to receive His Word, so that the seed might grow and bear fruit (the fourth place).

The Gospel records:

“And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear.” Matthew 13:3-9

Here, we hear that for the seed to take root in us, three things are required, according to the commentary of St. Thomas. The Angelic Doctor comments:

“But let us see the impediment to the seed. For it is impeded in three ways, because three things are required. For it is required that the memory of the word be preserved. Hence, bind them in your heart continually (Prov 6:21). The second is that it be rooted through love; your word is exceedingly refined: and your servant has loved it (Ps 118:140). Third, concern is required; pursue justice, godliness, faith, charity, patience, mildness (1 Tim 6:11).”¹

The three things he identifies are:

Memory

Charity

Concern

These three can likewise be taken away by three things:

“These three things are taken away by three things. Memory, by vanity; love or charity, by hardness; concern, by the sprouting up of vices.”²

These three things correspond to the first three places in which the seed falls in the parable. The first place that it falls is on the path, and birds come down to devour it. In St. Luke’s record of this parable, he adds that it is trampled on that path as well.³ It is the trampling and the devouring by the birds that corresponds to the sin of vanity, as this is how the vain will receive the word of God. St. Thomas comments:

“For this is how the vain receive God’s word: it is trampled by vain thoughts, or corrupt society. For which reason the devil rejoices greatly when he can steal away and trample down this seed. Why do you look upon those who do unjust things, and hold your peace when the wicked devours the man who is more just than himself? (Hab 1:13).”⁴

The sin of vanity causes the receiver to trample the Word underfoot since it convicts them of their vanity, and even more, the corruption of society and worldliness drives the Word down in order to continue its lavish and sinful lifestyle.

The second place that the Word falls is on rocky ground, and this corresponds to a hardness of heart seen in the lack of the virtue of Charity. St. Thomas comments:

“The second is hardness of heart; his heart shall be as hard as a stone, and as firm as a smith’s anvil (Job 41:15). And this is opposed to charity, because it belongs to love to melt the heart; my soul melted when he spoke (Song 5:6). For that is hard which is constrained within itself, and bound to its own measurement. Love works to transfer the one loving into the one loved; hence the one loving is spread out.”⁵

The hardness of heart is directly opposed to the virtue of Charity, and this can be in different ways. Some men have a complete lack of charity in their hearts, and thus, the Word cannot take root at all. Some have a small amount of love, but as St. Thomas says, there is no depth, meaning that there is no deep love for God and His Word. Thus, we require God to melt our hearts to be pliable to Him.

Third, some seed also fell among thorns. St. Thomas comments:

“Now, the thorns are anxieties, resentments, brawls, and suchlike. Do not sow upon thorns (Jer 4:3); I passed by the field of the slothful man, and there follows, and by the vineyard of the foolish man (Prov 24:30). And the thorns grew up and choked them.”⁶

Very simply here, concern for our souls and the salvation of others is choked out of us by anxieties, resentment, brawls, etc. When there is discord among brothers, we cease to live the Word of God in us, and we fail to act as His disciples. These acts of discord are contrary to Charity, Patience, and Forgiveness. And thus, the Word of God is choked in us and dies.

Finally, we see the beauty of what good soil does. This soil is the good soul that the Word of God comes to dwell in. St. Thomas comments:

“The impediments having been set forth, he treats of the fruit of the seed: and others fell upon good ground, and they produced fruit. The soil which is not beside the way, which is not rocky, which is not thorny, is good soil, namely a good heart; and if the seed is sown there, it bears fruit; for the Lord will give goodness: and our earth will yield her fruit (Ps 84:13).”⁷

The seed will bear fruit if the soil is good. We must cultivate the soil of our soul through prayer, sacraments, especially frequent confession and worthy reception of the Holy Eucharist, and good works. We must cultivate virtue and destroy vice in us. With the help of Grace, our souls can be good soil for the Word of God to bear fruit in us, thirty-fold, sixty-fold, and even a hundred-fold.

1. St. Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on the Gospel According to St. Matthew, C. 13, L. 1, 1087.

2. Ibid.

3. Cf. Luke 8:5.

4. Commentary on Matthew, 1088.

5. Ibid. 1089.

6. Ibid. 1090.

7. Ibid. 1091.