Friday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s Reflection
Gospel: Mt 13: 18-23
July 28, 2023 | Friday
Now listen to the parable of the sower. When a person hears the message of the kingdom, but does not take it seriously, the devil comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the
seed that fell along the footpath.
The seed that fell on rocky ground stands for the one who hears the word, and accepts it at once with joy. But such a person has no roots, and endures only for a while. No sooner is he harassed or persecuted because of the word, than he gives up.
The seed that fell among the thistles is the one who hears the word; but then, the worries of this life and the love of money choke the word; and it does not bear fruit. As for the seed that fell on good soil, it is the one who hears the word and understands it; this seed bears fruit and produces a hundred, or sixty, or thirty times more.”
Today’s Reflection:
Today’s parable speaks of everlasting spirituality and faith amidst short-term faiths, a kind of faith that withstands the test of time even if it is difficult. Hearing the words of the Lord is not enough. This must be accompanied by understanding and bearing fruit which means taking action. Today’s gospel further speaks of three failures through the three kinds of soil. The types of soil mentioned can be likened to a kind of faith that lacks understanding, rendering it vulnerable to being swept away by the challenges one may face in his journey through faith. As we reflect on today’s reading, may we listen to the words of God and take them to heart with the kind of faith that won’t be easily swept away by the things surrounding us. /Vulnerasti, 2023
