Who says there are no gurantees in life?

We have two spiritual soil types remaining – thorns and rich soil.

We’ll save “thorns” for tomorrow – it’s a fitting topic for our Answering Atheism Tuesday theme. 

About that rich soil…

It’s no simple matter to have good soil for your garden.  We once paid serious moolah for topsoil, only to find it eventually sprouted bumper crop of weeds and mold (for even more money you can get your stop soil “sanitized” by UV treatment).    

Fortunately, it’s not that complicated when it comes to the “soil” or our soul.

Jesus points out two actions that are necessary to cultivate rich soil – we must  “hear the word” and “understand it.”

The great thing about that is it is 110% achievable - 110% guaranteed!!!  It’s nearly as certain as taxes.

It genuinely is - because all it really takes is our willingness.  And it is extremely encouraging for practicing daily scripture mediation because one certain way to “hear the Word” is to spend time with scripture in daily meditation.  All that takes is a bible, a quiet corner of the house, and a personal daily commitment.  Done-ski. 

How about the second requirement - “understanding it”?   Well – that doesn’t require advanced degrees in theology or coaching sessions with a guru.  All it requires is being open to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, who “guides us to all truth.”  

There are two important situations we need to be aware of (and help others with).  First is what we do when we encounter challenging passages in the Bible, for example when Jesus says we should “hate our mother and father.”  That is when we need to turn to a reliable Catholic commentary.  The second situation is when we think we hear the Holy Spirit telling us to do something that seems pretty extreme.  It could be legitimate (God has some surprising requests that He makes of us…), or it could be the voice of the enemy.  That is when we should turn to a trustworthy Spiritual Director to help us discern the truth.

The bottom line is that if we meditate on scripture each day, with an open and generous heart, we are doing one of the best things we can do to cultivate the rich soil that “bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold."

Blessings on your journey with Christ –

Steve and Karen Smith

Postscript:  Mt 13:1-23

On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.  Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore.

And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:  "A sower went out to sow.  And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up.  Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil.  It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots.  Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.  But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.  Whoever has ears ought to hear."

The disciples approached him and said, "Why do you speak to them in parables?"  He said to them in reply, "Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.  To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.  This is why I speak to them in parables, because they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.  Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: You shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall indeed look but never see.

Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and be converted, and I heal them.

"But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear.  Amn, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

"Hear then the parable of the sower.  The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart.  The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.  But he has no root and lasts only for a time.  When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away.  The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit.  But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold."