Saturday in the 24th Week of Ordinary Time, September 18, 2021

Luke 8:4-15

When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town after another journeying to Jesus, he spoke in a parable. “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled, and the birds of the sky ate it up. Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew, it withered for lack of moisture. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew, it produced fruit a hundredfold.” After saying this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”  Then his disciples asked him what the meaning of this parable might be. He answered, “Knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you; but to the rest, they are made known through parables so that they may look but not see, and hear but not understand.  This is the meaning of the parable. The seed is the word of God. Those on the path are the ones who have heard, but the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts that they may not believe and be saved. Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy, but they have no root; they believe only for a time and fall away in time of temptation. As for the seed that fell among thorns, they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along, they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life, and they fail to produce mature fruit. But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.”

The Fathers interpret the reasons for the lack of fruit in various ways.  In the main, they teach that the “path” that the seed of Christ’s teaching falls on is an unteachable heart, one so set on sin and wickedness that it does not even consider a different way to live.  The seed is “trampled” in contempt.  The “rocky ground” the seed falls on allows the plant from the seed to begin growing, but in a short time it withers due to “lack of moisture”: the carelessness and sloth of the one who receives it withholds the nourishment which the Gospel, sown in the mind through hearing, requires for growth.  The seed that falls “among thorns” is choked by covetousness and lust.  On the other hand, the seed that falls on “rich soil” signifies the teaching of the Lord that has been embraced and treasured, and is shared with zeal, so that others fall in love with it as well so as to be likewise “fruitful”.  

It is possible for those of us who are firm believers at the present moment to grow cold in our faith and even for it to die.  We see this all the time in all sorts of people.  Often young adults who move on to college stop going to Mass and then stop believing all together.  Adults may stop believing when they are shaken by the scandals in the Church.  Others simply fall into disbelief because belief and faith require work that they are not interested in doing.  How can we prevent this from happening to us?

First of all, we must pray.  In order to pray, we need to make this a regular practice that nothing keeps us from.  We can schedule prayer in our day as monks, nuns, and priests do who pray at set times of the day.  Prayer is necessary because it leads us to the love of God: we cannot love someone we do not talk to.  Lack of prayer eventually results in the loss of faith, and may lead us, step by step, to become the hardened ground of the “path”, holding religion on contempt. 

Second, we must fortify our faith with a deeper understanding of the Lord’s teachings.  We can do this through reading the Scriptures, especially the Gospels, by studying the doctrines of the Church, and by learning about the saints.  We can also get to know the writings of the Church Fathers and to become familiar with Church history.  These things provide the “moisture” our faith needs in order to grow and flourish.

Third, we need to worship God at Holy Mass on Sundays and holy days —and during the week, if possible.  Learning about the Mass enables us to worship God more fully, so that we may become more open to his gifts.  We ought to avail ourselves of the Sacraments, the chief conduits of grace in our world.  Making a monthly confession, for instance, is a good practice.  In this way, we put down strong roots which will keep us from destruction in any storm.

Fourth, performing good works is necessary.  We should perform good works for ourselves and for others.  Good works for ourselves would be restraining our desire to buy things we do not need and to avoid anything that could be a near occasion of sin.  Good works for others may be as simple as a smile or a greeting, or in some way caring for the sick, the poor, and the troubled.  It could be teaching CCD or ushering at Mass.  Through works such as these we become “fruitful” for others in bringing the Faith to them.  We also combat the vices of covetousness, lust, and sloth in these actions.  By continuously working for the good, we do not give temptation any attention.  Thus, we become “the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.”