The root of the message offered in today’s Gospel is what is foundational to the beginning and continuing as a disciple of Jesus. This being the disposition of our hearts. Are we closed to receiving the message of the Gospel, or are we open to embrace the invitation Jesus shares with us to become more active in living out our faith in our everyday lives?
The exchange of Jesus with his disciples in today’s reading from Matthew comes after his sharing of the Parable of the Sower (Mt 13:1-9). In this parable, Jesus offers scenarios regarding the conditions of seeds sown. Some fell on a hardened path, some on rocky ground, some fell among thorns, and some fell on the rich soil. The seeds on the hardened path could not even germinate. Those in rocky ground and among thorns germinated and began to even sprout but would not come to full maturity. The seed that was sown in rich soil germinated, sprouted, matured, and bore fruit.
As disciples, we are meant to bear fruit and that means we need to prepare ourselves so that we will have rich soil. The beginning step is to have open hearts and minds. If we have a desire to pray, the hardened soil has given way somewhat. The seed has penetrated, died and has begun to grow. God is the originator of our prayer. The desire to spend time in prayer is good news. The devil has not stolen that from us. Now if we do not follow through on the inspiration of nor follow the nudging of the Holy Spirit, means we have some tilling to do. We need to remove the rocks of resistance, distraction, and diversion so that we can get deeper.
Daily coming to a place that we have created and set aside for ourselves to breathe and be still will help us to begin the work of facing those internal resistances and diversions. We can begin to see where are hearts and minds may have been hardened. By breathing and slowing down, we get in touch with our body and may be surprised by how tense we are. With just a few breathes we may notice that our shoulders come to a more peaceful place of rest. Our neck and our hips can begin to let go. Once we have prepared the soil, the next preparation is the weeding. Among good soil grows what has been planted, the seeds of the enemy as well as the seeds of God.
As we continue to return each day and allow God to happen, to acknowledge his presence and closeness, we can begin to then allow his light to reveal to us those thorns and other weeds that seek to choke the growth that has begun. Anxieties, worries, frustration, and reactions all choke out the peace, faith, confidence, and love that God seeks to sow and grow within us. Being diligent and disciplined in showing up, allows us to begin to feel safe in the place we have set aside. In encountering God each day, we begin to know him. In this place of stability, we come to know that God is our refuge and strength, and we begin to feel safe. From this place of safety, we can begin to face and breathe into where we notice our bodies hold anxiety, fear, and stress.
God helps us to tend the gardens of our souls patiently and gently. Thoughts of condemnation and shame are the weeds of the enemy that seek to choke out our healing, growth, and spiritual maturity. The gentle light of Jesus is that light that brings warmth and safety. The conviction he brings is the light that helps us to identify that which needs to be weeded and pruned so that our soil becomes richer and our growth can continue unimpeded. In time and with disciplined attention, daily coming to our places of quiet with the Lord, spending time in his word, we will be forgiven, healed, and freed from that which seeks to stunt our growth and we will continue to mature and begin to bear good fruit, the gifts and charisms that the Holy Spirit has sown within our good soil.
Whatever the state of the soil of our soul that we bring to this reading whether it be a hardened and worn path, rocky ground, weeds and thorns, know that there is some soil to work with. Like any garden that is to grow, mature plants that bear good fruit will take time, energy, and work. The most difficult state and the one Jesus addressed in today’s Gospel is the heart of indifference that is closed, the seed falling on the well-trod path, that is hard and packed so nothing gets through. For these people, “they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand” (Mt 13:13). Yet, even this soil can be turned and tilled. Even the hardest heart can be softened if one is willing to turn to Jesus.
Jesus, in his explanation of why he spoke in parables, returned to the inaugural message of his ministry: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Repent and believe in the Gospel” (Mk 1:15). Before we may be willing to repent, we may need to first acknowledge the places in our hearts and minds that are closed, those areas that are hardened from real or perceived past pain or trauma, those situations in which we chose to shut down and separate ourselves from God and others.
When we allow Jesus in, we can experience his healing touch. When we take the risk to accept his help, we will receive his forgiveness and healing. When we trust in Jesus, are willing to take his hand, follow his lead, and learn from our mistakes, turn away from our sins, and return to him for healing and confession, our hearts will soften and our minds will open.
Jesus wants to help us to turn over the rocks we have been hiding our pain under so that we can experience those deeper wounds that we have kept buried. This will only happen when we trust Jesus and feel safe. Spending quiet time each day, surrendering and being docile to the Holy Spirit, helps us to do just that. In time, we will feel safer and more confident to turn over those stones, pull up the weeds, and begin to till the fertile soil underneath. Through experiencing our pain, our emotions, and facing our fears, we help to prepare the fertile soil, in which the seed of God can thrive and in which we will mature to bear good fruit the will last.
Photo: Enjoying the fruit of this tree in bloom on my walk after morning prayer at University of St. Mary of the Lake.
Spiritual Stepping Stones 