Wednesday, July 26,
2017
The Gospel passage for today is the parable of the sower
(Matthew 13:1-9). The sower spread seed and some fell on the path, or on rocky
ground, or among weeds and thorns; none of these yielded fruit. But when he
sowed the seed upon fertile soil, it produced an abundant crop—30, 60 or 100
fold.
One of the messages we can take away from this parable is
this: that God’s gifts and His graces are “sowed” among us, and it is our
capacity to receive these gifts that determines how fruitful they can be.
So the question for us to ask is: what can we do to enhance
our capacity to receive God’s gifts? I can’t help thinking of the line from the
psalm which says “Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.” I also remember
someone saying that when we go to Mass, we often do not bring baskets big
enough to be filled with the blessings that God pours our upon us during the
Mass.
We might consider how often we’ve been at Mass and have
completely “missed” the readings because we were distracted or preoccupied with
something else. “Some seed fell upon rocky ground.”
You might also want to reconsider the promises I listed in
yesterday’s reflection:
·
The more needy you are, the more God moves mountains
to take care of you.
·
The more guilty you are, the more mercy He is ready to
pour into your soul.
·
The more helpless you feel, the more God sends you little
flickers of hope which grow brighter once you reach out to touch them.
·
Someone once said, “God cherishes those who cling to
Him for survival.”
·
The weaker you feel, the more God is ready to send you
silent, enduring strength.
·
The more you have lost, the wider the new life He
sends to you; be patient.
·
The more fearful you are, the more He yearns to grip
you by the hand so you know you are not alone.
·
The more you doubt and question, the more wisdom He
helps you acquire.
How open are you to receiving these
graces?
A couple of suggestions for
things to cultivate and develop:
·
greater mindfulness and awareness (and these are
cultivated in silence, solitude and meditation)
·
more attention to the things of God rather than
the trivialities of things we waste our attention on
·
continual reflection on the beauty that God has
created around you.
·
grateful remembrance of the graces He has
already bestowed on you.
·
turning to the Mother of God who, after all, has
been called the “Mediatrix of all graces.”
And above all, pray to God to
enlarge your heart and your mind and your understanding. These are prayers that
He loves to answer for you.
God bless you!
Fr. Bede Camera, O.S.B.
Saint Anselm Abbey
Manchester, NH 03102
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