Daily Gospel Reflection
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July 24, 2019
On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.
Such large crowds gathered around him
that he got into a boat and sat down,
and the whole crowd stood along the shore.
And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:
“”A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and birds came and ate it up.
Some 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.
But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit,
a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
Whoever has ears ought to hear.””
As a father of three and a special education teacher, I have often felt the need to get away from the chaos of everyday life, to sit down by the sea. I need solitude to recharge and be my best when dealing with the crowds. Today, however, the Gospel challenges me to do more than just get away. It challenges me to listen to and be nourished by the word of God. I imagine that is what allowed Jesus to receive the crowd and teach them (and us) when he had gone out and sat by the sea.
Jesus’ teaching reminds me that, focusing on my own goals rather than what God wants for me, I have often been like the path that did not accept the word. It reminds me that I have been like the rocky soil when I have eagerly received God’s word while on a retreat or listening to a particularly good homily, but haven’t nourished the seed with the daily prayer needed to sustain that initial spark of the Holy Spirit. It reminds me that I have allowed the distractions and worries of family, phone, and social media to choke my own growth, lead me astray, and prevent me from bearing fruit. Jesus reminds me that, like the garden my wife and I plant every Spring, I need to not only plant the seeds, but to prepare the soil, water daily, and weed often.
Today’s Gospel challenges me, and perhaps all of us, not only to use our ears to hear and our hearts to receive God’s loving message, but also to care for and nourish that message on a daily basis, so we may “produce fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold” by responding with God’s love when the pressures of daily life follow us to the sea.
Prayer
Lord God, we give thanks to all who planted and toiled in the fields to produce the food that will nourish us this day. Help us similarly to plant and sow seeds of compassion, love and forgiveness to all whom we encounter this day. Be with us Lord as we sow these seeds of Your goodness, for you are our One God, forever and ever. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Despite the fantastic stories surrounding St. Christina and her martyrdom, there is evidence that a Christian witness named Christina, a young girl, died a martyr and was honored for her faith.
Legend describes her as a young girl of a wealthy Roman family living in Bolsena, Italy. She had great beauty and many suitors came calling for her hand in marriage, but her father intended for her to become a pagan priestess. He set up a special room for her that was decorated with gold and silver images of pagan gods and instructed her to offer prayer and incense to them.
When she was visited by an angel, she became Christian. She went through the family’s house breaking up the golden and silver images of pagan gods and selling the pieces to help the poor. Her father became enraged, and threw her into a nearby lake with a stone tied around her neck. She somehow survived the incident, and was brought before authorities, who ordered her killed with arrows. Other torments were assigned to her, including bites from poisonous snakes and burning in a furnace.
While we do not know that any of this story is true, there is evidence that a maiden named Christina was martyred in Bolsena, Italy, and was venerated by Christians there as early as the fourth century. Modern excavations there have uncovered a shrine that includes a small church, catacombs, and a tomb with a name like Christina on it.
The relics of St. Christina rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
St. Christina, you stood for your faith in the face of death and inspired other Christians, pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Christina is in the public domain. Last accessed March 19, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
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