Daily Thoughts: The Gospel
(Mark 4: 1-20) reminds us that we have work to do. Jesus has given us the gift,
but what do we do with the gift? Do we plant it and let it grow into a
wonderful harvest of life that brings us to God or does the gift get wasted?
I have often used the parable of the
Sower and the Seed in my preaching and the way I look at it is that in life
there are four different kinds of soil, three of which do not allow the seed of
God's Word, Grace and Presence to grow and one that does. I often image our
hearts as the field, the soil and so a good question to ask is what condition our
hearts are in? Is it good soil? Can God's Word, God's Grace, God's Presence
grow there? Or is it the foot path, the rocky ground, the patch of weeds and
thorns that will not allow God to grow?
Why might our hearts be like to foot
path? Because we have been hurt at times in our life and we have hardened, we
don't let God or others in? Why might our hearts be rocky ground? Because we
are sinners. The rocks, boulders and pebbles are our sins. Why might our hearts
be clutters with thorns? Because the thorns are the things of my life that have
become more important than God.
So in order to have hearts full of good
soil that produces a bountiful harvest we need to loosen up the hard places,
move the rocks, boulders and pebbles and do some weeding. Then our hearts and our
lives will truly be places where good things grow. Our hearts will be places
that will bring to life the gift of Jesus!
Have a great Hump Day everyone!
Daily Prayer: Loving God,
strengthen us with the power of your love. Fill our hearts with your
unrelenting presence. Help us to work the soil of our hearts by loosening the
places that have become hard, by seeking the help of your forgiveness to move
the rocks of our sinfulness and by finding the strength to pull the weeds and
thorns that are over grown and choking off your presence. May our hearts become
the good soil that bears the fruit of your love thirty and sixty and a
hundredfold. Amen!
Runner's Thought: Imagine that as
you stretch your muscles before you run that you are also stretching your
spirit and giving it the flexibility it needs to engage God. Make each stretch
a simple prayer!
Daily Blessing: Happy Hump Day
everyone - have a great Wednesday may it truly be downhill the rest of the
week! I know some of you out there are struggling with flu, winter colds and
other things so I will say a special prayer for all struggle with the effects
of winter today. If you are under the weather may you get better soon! And to
all of us may today be a day truly blessed by God and may we all have a day rich
in what matters to us and God! Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul
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