Mark 4:1-20

On another occasion he began to teach by the sea. A very large crowd gathered around him so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down. And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land. And he taught them at length in parables, and in the course of his instruction he said to them, “Hear this! 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 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 and it produced no grain. And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit. It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” He added, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.” And when he was alone, those present along with the Twelve questioned him about the parables. He answered them, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been granted to you. But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that ‘they may look and see but not perceive, and hear and listen but not understand, in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven.’” Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables? The sower sows the Word. These are the ones on the path where the Word is sown. As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once and takes away the Word sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who, when they hear the Word, receive it at once with joy. But they have no root; they last only for a time. Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the Word, they quickly fall away. Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the Word, but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the Word, and it bears no fruit. But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the Word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”

Opening Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, plant the seed of your Word deep inside me. Cultivate and nourish rich soil in me so that I might bear good fruit for your glory. 

Encountering Christ:

1. Strong Roots Help Us Persevere in Faith: The seeds that fall on the rocky ground have no roots to nourish them, so they quickly die when the hot sun scorches them. Suffering for Christ is difficult, even by his side. Tribulations like illness, poverty, or simply day-to-day problems can cause us to lose hope if we are not strongly rooted in Christ. Similarly, bearing persecution for Christ’s sake is nearly impossible without a deep prayer life to nourish us. When we are going through a trial, staying close to Jesus in prayer and the sacraments keep us strong so that we can persevere in faith.

2. Selfish Habits Steal Energy: The seedlings that grow up among the thorns are choked before they can bear fruit. The weedy thorns steal their nutrients. Likewise, anxieties about our earthly needs steal our energy. We can get caught up in a self-focused cycle of worrying about our own needs, which prevents us from loving God and our neighbors. Having an excessive desire for wealth and power is another way that selfishness can spiritually choke us. Trusting God to remove the selfish thorns of anxiety and worldly cravings helps us to grow deep, strong roots and become a “planting of the Lord to show his glory” (Isaiah 61:3).

3. Good Soil Equals Good Fruit: The seedlings in the good soil grow deep roots and bear an abundance of fruit. Good soil does not usually come naturally; it must be cultivated and fed. We can ask God to cultivate our hearts to remove any rocks and thorns. Time for prayer, scripture reading, and allowing God to nourish us with his sacraments all feed our soil. Then the seed of his Word will fall on the good soil of our hearts. When we receive and accept the Word, it will grow in us and we will bear good fruit. Offering works of mercy out of love for one another is how we can bear “fruit that will last” (John 15:16).

Conversing with Christ: Jesus, I can become anxious about my needs. I forget to bring them to you in prayer. I become self-reliant and forget how much you provide for me. This selfish worry steals my peace, energy, and joy, leaving me dry and unable to carry out the mission you have entrusted to me. Cultivate and prune me so that I can joyfully bear fruit in loving service to my brothers and sisters.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will reflect on the soil that is my spiritual life. I will pray to ask you to remove whatever is impeding me from truly loving you and others.