Daily Gospel Reflection
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January 26, 2022
On another occasion, Jesus began to teach by the sea.
A very large crowd gathered around him
so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down.
And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land.
And he taught them at length in parables,
and in the course of his instruction he said to them,
“Hear this! A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and the birds came and ate it up.
Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep.
And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it
and it produced no grain.
And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit.
It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”
He added, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”
And when he was alone,
those present along with the Twelve
questioned him about the parables.
He answered them,
“The mystery of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you.
But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that
they may look and see but not perceive,
and hear and listen but not understand,
in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven.”
Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable?
Then how will you understand any of the parables?
The sower sows the word.
These are the ones on the path where the word is sown.
As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once
and takes away the word sown in them.
And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who,
when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy.
But they have no roots; they last only for a time.
Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
they quickly fall away.
Those sown among thorns are another sort.
They are the people who hear the word,
but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches,
and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word,
and it bears no fruit.
But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it
and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”
As I approached the store counter, the cashier looked at my children with surprise, “Wow, four boys!” “Yes,” I replied and proudly pointed to each, “One, three, five, and seven.” She shook her head and said, “Well, God bless you, my dear.”
I gathered my things and quickly walked out the door, anxious to show her I could handle what God had given me. Over the years, many more people would shake their heads and make similar remarks as if I was doing something at the same time foolish and worthy of respect. Still to this day, with my sons now 19, 21, 23, and 25, I reply to that comment with a strong, “He has! Indeed God has blessed me!”
How I heard and internalized those words, “God bless you.” made a difference in my response. It truly shaped how I viewed my life and the blessing of the children God had given me.
In today’s reading, we read the parable of the sower. We are all familiar with the words written here, but more important is how we hear those words because how we listen matters.
Some of us will physically hear God’s word, but not understand what is said. Others will hear the words, understand them, but do nothing about it. Finally, others will hear, understand, and put the meaning of those words into practice in their lives. These are the ones “who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”
God has laid the seed, given us the word, in hopes that we will ultimately accept the truths of the gospel and go on to do good works. May we internalize Christ’s message to bring richness back into the parts of our hearts that may have grown rocky and hard.
Prayer
Lord, your saving Word takes root in those who hear and accept it, those who do good and are upright. Help us to find your way of sincerity, patience, and truth. May we always be humble in seeking your way. Enable our faith to be filled with the blessing of charity in all things, that we might bear fruit a hundredfold. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Sts. Timothy and Titus were two of St. Paul’s closest associates—he called them his “sons” in Christ—and they helped him establish and encourage new Christian communities in the early Church.
Timothy was born and raised in Galatia, which is in modern-day Turkey, and his Jewish mother embraced faith in Jesus. Timothy was raised with a firm education in Scripture, and when Paul visited his town to preach, the elders recommended Timothy to him. Paul had already dispatched his companion Barnabas on a mission and needed a helper, so he adopted the young Timothy as his assistant.
Timothy accompanied Paul in his travels and went on independent trips to offer support to communities Paul had been in touch with. He became Paul’s closest friend and most faithful follower— he was imprisoned with Paul for two years and Paul entrusted him with his most important tasks.
Paul entrusted the Christian community in Ephesus to Timothy, naming him their first bishop. The Church has preserved two of the letters Paul wrote to Timothy as part of the New Testament. Timothy was martyred around the year 97 for opposing a ritual ceremony in honor of a pagan god. The townspeople paraded around with clubs during the rite, and when Timothy confronted them, they killed him.
Titus was born a Gentile and was converted by Paul, and went on to serve as Paul’s secretary. Like Timothy, Paul sent Titus out to various Christian communities to encourage and support them. Paul eventually established Titus as bishop of Crete, which was a notoriously difficult community, and one of his letters to Titus is preserved in the New Testament. Titus spent most of his life in Crete—he died there at the age of 94.
Relics of both Timothy and Titus rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica, and the statue of Timothy pictured here stands above an entrance to Howard Hall on campus.
Sts. Timothy and Titus, Paul’s faithful helpers who encouraged growth in the early Church—pray for us!