Blog # 164 The Sower - three

Blog # 164 The Sower Three I didn't think there would be a blog called #164 The Sower Three, but after preaching on the parable of the Sower at Mass on Sunday several thoughts were on my mind and since they were a blessing for me I will try to share them briefly with you At a first reading of the passages on The Sower in the Gospels of Matthew 13: 4-23 and Mark 4:1-20 it might seem the fault for what is wrong would be on the sower for not being more careful in spreading the seed, with no fault on the part of the wayside, birds,thorns,stones or weeds that hinder or prevent the good soil from producing a good harvest. But it is clear that Jesus, talking here in parable form as was His custom, is actually talking about people and implied choices on their part rather than a literal use of wayside, stones or birds. The fault comes on the part of people for not recognizing and removing the obstacles that prevent the good soil from being what it was designed to be by the Creator. A second insight that came to me was an awareness of the necessity of seeing the complete meaning and application of the parable, realizing that Jesus, particularly in our current moment of history, is not talking merely about some individual's back yard or garden but of the Creator of the universe and of all six billion of us living on the globe today. Together all of us are being influenced by the enemies of peace happiness truth and virtue that is is being produced, tolerated, and left to an extent unopposed in our City, State, nation, and world. In God our Creator I am poor with the poor, rich with the rich. I watch TV in your living room even though I am not there physically and I do not have a TV plugged in here at my house. We are that closely connected in God's infinite love and design for all that exists. For those of us who believe in a single Creator the sun is more than merely light. It is a personal gift, an expression and evidence of God's presence, power, and love for all of us throughout the world from our common Creator. In our desire and effort to be holy we influence and support one another in making the small portion of earth that is under our control to be good soil, without the obstacle to God's love and grace we call sin. The whole of creation is blessed in the blessing we call down upon it in our desire and effort to be holy. The wayside, rocks, thorns, and birds glorify God in all they are and do too, and it might seem at first even better than we since they never sin. The essential difference is that we are created and capable of loving God, and love requires freedom in order to be itself. In freedom we can say yes or no, even to God. But it is only in freedom that we can be truly like to God Who is totally free because God is totally Love.