Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Saturday of week 24 in Ordinary Time
Saint Januarius, Bishop, Martyr
Gospel: Luke 8:4-15
In today’s parable, the seed falls on very different kinds of ground: the path, the rock, among thorns, and finally into rich soil. The results are different, but one thing never changes: wherever the seed falls, the seed itself is good. Jesus tells us that the seed is the Word of God, and therefore its goodness does not depend upon the circumstances in which it is received. Sometimes we may blame God’s Word because it does not immediately produce the results we expect, when the real question concerns the soil of our heart. Distraction can make it a path; superficiality can make it rocky; anxieties, attachments, and pleasures can fill it with thorns. Yet the divine seed never loses its power to give life. This gives us great hope: even when we recognize poor soil within ourselves, we need not doubt the goodness of what God is sowing. Instead, we can allow Him to prepare the ground. Mary shows us what fertile soil looks like: she received the Word, treasured it, pondered it, and allowed it to become flesh within her. Saint Januarius, by his fidelity even unto martyrdom, likewise shows a Word received with perseverance and bearing fruit. The seed of God is always good; our task is not to improve the seed, but to open, clear, deepen, and prepare the soil of our hearts so that the goodness already contained in His Word can become visible in the fruit of our lives. Let’s reflect: Do I trust that the seed of God’s Word is always good, and am I allowing Him to prepare the soil of my heart so that His Word can take root and bear abundant fruit?
Don Giorgio