It is 24th July 2020. We celebrate the memorial for St. Charbel Makhluf, Priest.
The readings are from Jeremiah 3:14-17; and the Gospel is from Matthew 13:18-23.
Assimilation of the Word of God assures our spiritual fertility and growth.
Invitation from the prophet Jeremiah to people of Israel in the first reading is also for us to return to the Lord, the Master. God promises us shepherds after God’s heart who lead people with wisdom and knowledge of the Word of God.
To be faithful to the one and only is a willful and willing effort of the one who genuinely loves. When we are unfaithful, we find fault and complain about the other. Being faithful makes us to be fertile and productive till the end. Not even God can force us to be faithful and fruitful. Uninspected interactions produce unpredicted relationships. God expected God’s chosen ones to be faithful to God as the Master and the Spouse. God can provide us the ample opportunity to grow and understand the Word of God. Freedom in imparting the message of God is still flexible within the framework of faith.
The responsorial Psalm praises, “The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.” (Jer.31:10)
We are reminded of four different kinds of soil in today’s Gospel. Our life denotes one of the conditions of receptivity of the soil. The stony soil is that our hardcore secularized attitude and performance. Any amount of inspired preaching cannot change the heart of the person. The rocky soil is having the maximum input yet abnormal output. Our roots are shallow when exposed to challenging conditions dies down. Emotional charged and fireworks in listening but the response is delayed for good in the rocky surface. Too much of debates and discussion, attending seminars, and webinars with their own appraisal of the preacher contributes no growth due to inner battles and arguments with what they heard like thorns that kill the seed. The pure acceptance and openness with the understanding allows the seed grow to the maximum produce.
Most of us do not listen to the Word of God pointing our fingers on the style and method of preaching.
Our docility and receptivity are moisture and manure for the Word of God to germinate in our heart. God does not look at the quality of heart to sow the Word of God. God never stops sowing the seed of life. We cannot blame the quality of seed when we have become stubborn and indifferent in cultivating the ground. Not many of us are born with rich soil. But everyone can become a rich soil to bring out the desired results from our life when we cooperate and collaborate with God who continues sowing.
Something we are not doing in our lives contributing to minimized growth. Each one need to find out the obstacles and hurdles that allowing the Word of God to be rooted in our lives.
Let us recognize the condition we have offered for the Word of God and return to the Lord amending our ways to be fruitful and blessed in our lives. May you have a lovely day. God bless you.