Posted by The WORD in other words (2009) by Fr Mike Mahinay, SVD – Loreto, Surigao del Norte
Saturday 24th Week in Ordinary Time
According to the “Best Answer” commenting on today’s Gospel which I browsed over the internet, “Jesus’s explanation of the Parable of the Sower highlights four different responses to the gospel. The seed is ‘the word of the kingdom.’
The hard ground represents someone who is hardened by sin; he hears but does not understand the Word, and Satan plucks the message away, keeping the heart dull and preventing the Word from making an impression.
The stony ground pictures a man who professes delight with the Word; however, his heart is not changed, and when trouble arises, his so-called faith quickly disappears.
The thorny ground depicts one who seems to receive the Word, but whose heart is full of riches, pleasures, and lusts; the things of this world take his time and attention away from the Word, and he ends up having no time for it.
The good ground portrays the one who hears, understands, and receives the Word—and then allows the Word to accomplish its result in his life. The man represented by the ‘good ground’ is the only one of the four who is truly saved, because salvation’s proof is fruit.”
In this manner, one can easily identify as to what kind of soil he/she is being sown. Christ’s intention presupposes self-examination to give us an opportunity to grow and mature in our spiritual journey. As Psalm 95:8 says, “If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.”
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