Best Catholic Reflections July 24, 2024

By CL

Published on:

Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection July 24, 2024

R/. My mouth will tell of your salvation, Lord.

V/. Alleluia

R/. Alleluia

V/. The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower; all who come to him will live forever.

R/. Alleluia.

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the lake. And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.”

1.      Very many times, it is sad to see that a good many waste their life without any sense of purpose and direction. They are just unproductive and unfruitful. They receive many opportunities to grow and prove themselves worthwhile and useful. But they are not responsive and responsible.

2.      This is because they are not sensitive and susceptible to sense the offer of God’s grace. They are not receptive to it. They are not cooperative with it. Consequently, they fail to produce fruits that are abundant and lasting. This message is strongly conveyed by the parable of the sower in the gospel.

3.      The four types of soil represent four kinds of response and cooperation. The first way-side soil indicates all those who are totally indifferent and unbothered about the seeds of God’s grace. God and God’s things for them do not matter at all. God has no entry into their lives.

4.      The second rocky soil indicates all those who receive God’s grace willingly but are not deep-rooted. So easily their initial enthusiasm fades away. The third bushy and thorny soil denotes all those who are regarded as religious and devout people but are dominated by worldliness. The worldly interests and preoccupations distract, deviate, and distort them. Consequently, their life of faith is choked and restricted.

5.      The fourth fertile soil receives the seeds, cultivates them diligently, and produces a rich harvest of abundant fruits. What is notable is that on God’s part, there is no lapse. There is no scarcity in the supply of seeds. He distributes His seeds without any discrimination.

6.      This positive response and active production require a consistent awareness and living of our very vocation and mission like that of Jeremiah. Jeremiah receives God’s call in all humility. He is aware of his unworthiness, inexperience, and incompetence. But God assures him, “Do not be afraid, for I am with you to deliver you”. He equips him with His own power, by “putting His words in his mouth”.

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