15th Sunday of Ordinary Time

The Sower Mt. 13:1-23

When was the last time you saw a farmer spreading his seed on the road?

Or a parking lot?

Or a weed infested patch of ground?

That would seem like a waste of good seed

And also not very productive.

But God is different.

He scatters the seed of His Word everywhere.

With utter abandon.

Jesus preached the word to Pharisees and Saducees.

To tax collectors and prostitutes.

Why waste His breath on people who weren’t going to listen?

Because one never knows.

The human heart is always changing.

Thomas Merton once wrote,

Just as There are millions of seeds carried by the wind looking for a place to take root.

so God scatters seeds of spiritual growth everyday throughout the world,

but for these to take root in our hearts

we must have FREEDOM, SPONTANEITY and LOVE!

And God sows these seeds

Not just at Church or during prayer,

but at every moment of our lives,

God is scattering seeds of of spiritual growth and vitality in our hearts.

And if we Hope to receive them and bear fruit ,

we need to be FREE, SPONTANEOUS and LOVING.

How free are we?

Are we slaves to our passions and desires?

Are we slaves to our addictions?

Can we turn down that donut?

Can we pass up that sale at the store?

Can we turn off the TV and and say a rosary?

Can we put our cell phones down during dinner?

Many people are not quite as free as they think.

How spontaneous are we ?

Do we have to check our calendars before we make a decision?

When was the last time you dropped everything and called a friend for lunch?

When was the last time you took a walk without scheduling it?

When was the last time you you decided to pull over and visited the Blessed Sacrament rather then driving by?

When was the last time you visited a cemetery and prayed for your relatives?

When was the last time you bought your wife flowers just because.

Or are we just too busy?

How Loving are we?

What do we love more?

Sleeping in on Sundays or going to Church?

Listening to our children or watching the game?

Praying to God or our personal hobbies?

How do we speak to our neighbors and co-workers?

How do we respond to those with whom we disagree?

Where we spend the most time is what we love the most.

So many things in our life choke off the seeds that God tries to plant in our hearts and souls.

Seeds of spiritual life and vitality that can bear abundant fruit

in our hearts, our families, our neighborhoods and at work.

But Only if we are FREE, SPONTANEOUS and LOVING!

God Bless