A sower went out to sow ...

     The seed sown is the word of God, the word of truth, the message of the kingdom.  The sower is the living Word of God, Jesus the Christ.  The seed is intended to be sown in the rich soil of our hearts.  But not all hearts are ready, not all hearts are receptive.  The parable in the gospel from Matthew for this 15th Sunday in Summer Ordinary Time reminds us of that reality.

     Our task is to prepare the soil of our hearts for that Word.  Our task is to make sure that the Word is not snatched away, plucked from us by the enemy before it has a chance to be embedded and take hold.  Our task is to make sure that the Word reaches, not rock, but rather soil where it can establish roots, and not be carried away by trial or tribulation.  Our task is to make sure that the lure of riches and worldly anxiety do not choke off the Word of God.  Our task is to make sure that our hearts provide the rich soil that will allow the Word to produce a yield of a hundred or sixty or thirty fold.

     There are all too many who seek to deny us access to the Truth, presenting their alternatives as "gospel".  There are those who are more subtle in luring us away from the Truth with their lies that tell us that we can't understand nor do we need to know the truth.  There is so much in our lives that provide distractions and alternatives to "the" Truth of Jesus Christ, and everyone and everything wants our undivided attention.  But for those who hunger, for those who thirst, for those whose hearts and minds are open ... the Lord places within us that which is Life-Giving, and asks us to take it and run with it ... to make it a part of who we are and what we do.

     We recall the words of the gospel acclamation:

"The seed is the word of God,

Christ is the sower.

All who come to him will have life forever."