The Sunday Sermon Archive

Dear Friend,

Today's Gospel is about the seed: some of which fell along the wayside; others upon a rock; others among the thorns; and lastly some that fell upon good ground.

Our Lord Himself gives us the meaning of this parable. The seed is the word of God and the different soils represent the different types of souls that receive His grace.

Our obligation then is that we should strive to have good soil in our soul so that the seed or the word of God may take root and grow to produce fruit a hundred-fold.

Just as the farmer must prepare the soil before he plants so must we prepare our souls before we receive the word of God. Before we enter the church to hear the word of God or before we read or listen to a sermon or spiritual work, let us imitate St. Bernard, who before he entered the church would pause a moment at the door recollecting himself and then say interiorly: "Remain here you earthy thoughts and cares, for I must now occupy myself with my God and the salvation of my soul; when I return I will take you back so far as it may be necessary." We must banish all our temporal thoughts and cares, and suppress all inordinate emotions and inclination, so that we may devote ourselves untrammeled to the service of God and the business or our salvation.

We must also develop a hearty desire to be instructed in the Christian religion and to be guided to piety. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after justice." He that has no longing for the word of God, gives us to understand that he is worldly minded, and such a one may be preached to a hundred times, and yet he will remain the self-same worldling.

Next we must invoke the Holy Ghost both for the preacher and for ourselves. No matter how well the preacher may preach if the Holy Ghost does not enlighten the soul it will profit the hearer nothing. St. Augustine says: "We may call and, with much noise exhort to good, but if there be none to teach inwardly, all noise on our part is useless." For this reason St. Paul exhorts the Ephesians to pray for him that speech may be given him, that he may open his mouth with confidence, to make known the mystery of the gospel. Without the grace of God we are capable of nothing. Therefore we must pray and ask for this grace. "Your Father who is in heaven will give good things to them that ask Him."

We must give our full attention to the word of God that we are receiving. How can we expect any profit if we sleep or entertain distractions when God is trying to sow His word in our hearts? We must be humble for God resists the proud. No matter how much we may think that we know there is always something more for us in the words of God that can nurture our souls. Thus, we must be solicitous for salvation. We must constantly desire to be better instructed in religion. "Grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (II Pet. 3, 18) We must have the desire of amending and perfecting ourselves. This is the principle object of the word of God. Sinners are to be converted, the lukewarm to be roused, the weak to be strengthened, and the imperfect to be led to perfection.

After receiving the word of God we must meditate on what we have received. In this way we will be better able to strengthen our resolve, and nourish within our souls that which we have received. We should at this time make good resolutions to practice what has been revealed to us. In particular we should resolve to avoid some particular fault or to perform some good action.

As we enter back into the world we must carry out the good resolutions that we have formed. "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified." (Rom 2: 13) "If a man be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he shall be compared to a man beholding his own countenance in a glass; for he beheld himself, and went his way, and presently forgot what manner of man he was." (St. James 1: 23, 24)

We now know how we must receive the word of God, whether it is preached to us or read by us. Let us prepare ourselves by purifying our hearts from all worldly distractions and cares, from all inordinate inclinations and desires; be anxious to allow ourselves to be taught and corrected, and for that end implore the Holy Ghost to give us His grace. Let us always hear the word of God with attention, humility, and a heart solicitous for salvation; meditate on what has been given to us, make good resolutions, and put them into practice. "Blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it." (St. Luke 11: 28) Amen.

Franciscan Benefactor Seraph Subscription Electronic copy of the December Seraph ($2.00)in Adobe Acrabat format. Vocations Have you remembered God?