Today’s Gospel is the Parable of the Sower, and, as we’ll see in a few days, the seed being sown is the Word of God trying to make its way into a soul. In today’s First Reading, the beginning of the Book of the prophet Jeremiah, we see Jeremiah recalling when the Word of God was first “sown” into him and all the reservations he had about becoming the Lord’s prophet. This is normal. When the Lord asks something of us, something that inevitably requires the cross, we get nervous and start raising possible objections. This is simply the seed burrowing in and starting to take root.
If we use the language of today’s Gospel in considering today’s conversation between the Lord and Jeremiah we see that we shouldn’t be afraid of welcoming and nourishing the seed of God’s Word, because God has sown it for a good purpose and he will continue to watch over the soil and cultivate it. Jeremiah was young and inexperienced, but the Lord would be with him and all Jeremiah had to do was follow his commands and speak his words.
Don’t be afraid of welcoming the Word of God into your heart. He may ask for something demanding, but he’ll be with you every step of the way and he has plans for something good to grow out of your generosity and sacrifice.
Readings: Jeremiah 1:1, 4–10; Psalm 71:1–4a, 5–6b, 15, 17; Matthew 13:1–9. See also 24th Week in Ordinary Time, Saturday.