Daily Gospel Reflection
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July 24, 2020
Jesus said to his disciples, “Hear then the parable of the sower.
“When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path.
“As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away.
“As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing.
“But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
As a high school math teacher who is incredibly anxious about the challenges of the upcoming school year, today’s reading reminds me that I’m not on good soil right now.
Over these past few months–with the rollercoaster of news and tragic events–I can see myself on the hardened path, resisting change and wanting everything to go back as it was – safe, comfortable, and predictable. I also see myself on the rocky ground, easily shaken by injustices and disturbed by the circumstances beyond my control and the uncertainties of the future. I see myself among the thorns, tempted by bouts of hopelessness, feeling abandoned by God, and accomplishing little in these endless days of waiting and wanting some sign of progress and change.
In other words, these past few months have been a giant stinky pile of manure. Rather than bearing fruit, it feels that I’ve spent most of my days in the mess of composting. But doesn’t manure and compost make for good soil?
So maybe I’m actually on good soil. If I permit God to enter into all of my mess, especially the ugliest, dirtiest, and stinkiest parts. My mess, my struggles, my fears, especially about the upcoming school year, are actually the nutrients of the good soil that allows for God to bear fruit in me.
It is strange to think of God as a sower who, seemingly foolishly, casts seeds wherever they might fall. But it is the truth. God loves me so much and reaches out to me no matter what. If my heart is hardened, rocky, thorny, or fruitful, God is pouring into me, with a foolish abundance, the desire to transform me and bear fruit in me. This brings me great comfort moving forward into the uncertainties of the days, weeks, and months ahead.
Prayer
Teach us, Lord, of your mercy and gentle kindness in the face of our failures. Let us realize that often the deadness in our hearts and souls is there because of poor choices, cowardly decisions, and indifferent values. Hear us, faithful Jesus, hear our cries from the dead fields of our lack of faith and trust – forgive us and give us again the life you have promised.
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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