Friday, July 23, 2021

Good Soil


The WORD today reminds me that I should prepare my heart to be a good soil for God’s seeds. 

God created everything and he is all powerful. He has power over the weather and the circumstances in life. He allows things to happen, and prevents things from happening to protect his people. However, there is only one thing he does not have control over – our free will. God loves us so much that he gave us free will to decide what we want to do, how we want to live, what we want to happen.

You decide if you will accept God or not. 

In the gospel, we see that the sower went out to sow. He put out the same seeds to different kinds of soil. It was the same sower, and the same kind of seed. What was different was the kind of soil that received the seeds. This produced different results on the seed. The readiness and receptiveness of the soil determines what will happen to the seeds. 

The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower.

In the first reading, we saw God telling us what to do. We saw him telling us how to live, if we want to follow him and obey him. The basis of his commandments. We knows us so he tells us what we should do. This is what we should do so our hearts would become good soils, that would accept God and produce fruits for Him. 

We all have the same bible. We all have the same God. We all experience the great, unconditional and forgiving love of God through Jesus. However, we receive it differently. Some chose to prioritize worldly riches over spiritual ones, some allow stress and problems overwhelm us and take the focus away from God, some allow the devil to take away what God gave us, while some keep everything in their hearts and lives and allow God’s seeds of love to bear fruit in their lives. 

In the world we are living in, everyone is affected. The pandemic is affects everyone. And God’s call is for everyone. His blessings are there. Opportunities to help are there. We just need to make the decision - to be a good soil or not. We all have worries and concerns. We may fear. But we are all given the opportunity to be a good soil for God. 

What kind of soil am I? How do I receive God’s word? How do I treat it? How do I respond? What can I do to make my heart a good soil for God? How can I produce blessings and fruits for God? How can I be a good soil, especially in this time of pandemic? 

May we be challenged and inspired by the fact that God gave us all his love, his word, his blessings and protection. May we prepare our hearts to receive him and allow him to bear fruit through us.

Father God,
Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another chance to love and serve you. Thank you for all the blessings you have been continuously giving me. Sorry for the times I let the world or the devil take your word away from my heart. Sorry for the times I worry too much or focus too much on worldly things that I keep you in the background. Sorry for not preparing my heart to be a good soil for you.   Help me prepare my heart to receive you Lord. Help me be good soil, that your word in my life may take effect. May I be able to absorb it, give it its due importance, and allow you to bear fruit through me. Use me to bear fruits for your kingdom and for your glory. Amen

Blessed Day!

In Christ,
-g-


July 23, 2021
Friday of Week 16; St. Bridget of Sweden

FIRST READING

In those days: God delivered all these commandments: 

“I, the LORD, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. You shall not have other gods besides me. You shall not carve idols for yourselves in the shape of anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; you shall not bow down before them or worship them. For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God, inflicting punishment for their fathers’ wickedness on the children of those who hate me, down to the third and fourth generation; but bestowing mercy down to the thousandth generation on the children of those who love me and keep my commandments. 

“You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain. For the LORD will not leave unpunished him who takes his name in vain. 

“Remember to keep holy the sabbath day. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD, your God. No work may be done then either by you, or your son or daughter, or your male or female slave, or your beast, or by the alien who lives with you. In six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD has blessed the sabbath day and made it holy. 

“Honor your father and your mother, that you may have a long life in the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you. 

“You shall not kill. 

“You shall not commit adultery. 

“You shall not steal. 

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male or female slave, nor his ox or ass, nor anything else that belongs to him.”


RESPONSORIAL PSALM

R. (John 6:68c) Lord, you have the words of everlasting life. 

The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul; The decree of the LORD is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple. 

R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life. 

The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The command of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eye. 

R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life. 

The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; The ordinances of the LORD are true, all of them just. 

R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life. 

They are more precious than gold, than a heap of purest gold; Sweeter also than syrup or honey from the comb. 

R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.


ALLELUIA

R. Alleluia, alleluia. 

Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart and yield a harvest through perseverance. 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.


GOSPEL

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Hear the parable of the sower. The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the Kingdom without understanding it, and the Evil One comes and steals away what was sown in his heart. The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away. The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit. But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”

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