by Fr. Gregory-David Jones, O.S.B.

       Jesus’ parable of the sower is a story that can ironically be misunderstood.  The various reactions to the seeds as they are scattered on different terrains are symbolic of the receptiveness of the soul to the Word of God.  If taken out of the context of the entire Gospel, one might be left with an impression that the way a person receives the message of salvation is beyond his or her control or the influence of others.  However, most of us know that good soil can be corrupted through neglect, but on the other hand, rocks can be removed from soil, thorns can be removed from the ground and concrete can be broken up.  Our salvation ultimately depends on God’s grace, but we have a duty to cultivate our souls so that we can continually receive the Word of God in our souls and act upon it.  We also have been given the charge not only to preach the Gospel to others but also give witness to its saving power by the way we live and interact with others.

     We can break up the concrete of misunderstanding by continually learning more and more about our Catholic faith so that we can readily share it with others in an informative way.  We can help others remove their stones of fear and thorns of sinful temptations through prayer and words of encouragement – not words of condemnation and judgment.  As far as ourselves, we must keep everything in perspective and preserve, cultivate and enhance the soil on which we stand through prayer, study and good works because we cannot give to someone else what we may have lost or did not have in the first place.

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