Keeping the Soul Soil Rich

~~~ Jeremiah 1:1, 4-10 ~~~ Psalm 71 ~~~ Matthew 13:1-9 ~~~ 

Whoever has ears ought to hear...

Jesus often spoke in parables inspired by his surroundings.

These parables hold meanings for us today.

The parable of the sower and the seeds

 is the current reading.

We are familiar with the seeds 

falling on different types of soil.

The prophets moved about the peoples 

spreading the seeds of God.

They did indeed experience the 

different types of soil.

Some of their words fell on the path...

some fell on rocky ground...a few fell

 on rich fertile soil.

Jesus too had the same experience 

with not just his precious words.

but his actions too.

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you...

We might ask ourselves if God 

has known us from our conception

then why do we struggle with Jesus?

God never just speaks to us 

in words and phrases we want to hear.

From our conception our soul was 

prepared to receive the goodness of the Lord.

We were born with rich soul soil...

It is up to us to keep that soil in pure condition.

It is up to us to remove the rocks and weeds.

We are responsible to hear the words of the parable;

as words meant for us in the present time.

Have no fear before them,

because I am with you to deliver you...

The Lord gives us his grace to know how

 to keep our soul in the listening mode.

To root up and to tear down,

to destroy and to demolish,

to build and to plant.

As we grow in holiness we learn to root up...to tear down...

all that spoils our rich soil.

We learn to destroy the weeds in our souls.

We develop the strength to demolish 

the rocks along our path.

Whoever has ears ought to hear...

Listen carefully to the words of Jesus.

They are words to build upon for our future challenges.

They are words to till the soil ready to receive

 the seeds of love, peace, and forgiveness.

Have no fear before them,

because I am with you to deliver you...

Maintaining the soil of our soul...

keeping it rich, requires a current relationship with Jesus.

Those who have ears must hear the 

words of everlasting life.

Jesus speaks them directly

 into your heart.

Blessed with rich soil.

Blessed to find the weeds.

Blessed to remove the rocks.

Blessed to believe that Jesus is speaking to me.

~~~Peace~~~

Music of the Season

~~~ Isaiah 41:13-20 ~~~ Psalm 145 ~~~ Matthew 11:11-15 ~~~

Whoever has ears ought to hear.

During this time of Advent there are many opportunities to hear,
but are you truly listening?

Music is playing everywhere we go.
The message is of joy, love, and happiness.
The music of the season brings joy to the heart...
it lifts the soul to a higher place.
We sing of good will toward men...all men.
We sing of the silent night when all of creation
 broke into a chorus of joy.

The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.

It is good that we are reminded during this hectic time of year
to also be slow to anger.
It is during Advent that we should make
the effort to show even
grater kindness toward others.

Blessings of kindness and mercy
are coming to us from the manger.

~~~Peace~~~

No Grumbling Allowed

 ~~~ Exodus 16:1-5, 9-15 ~~~ Psalm 78 ~ Matthew 13:1-9 ~~~

 

It is a wonder how Moses managed to put up with the grumbling Israelites.
They were much like spoiled children.

God chose Moses to be their leader.
He protects their sons.
He protects them from the Egyptians.
He allows Moses to part the water so they can escape safely.

Here in the desert the whole assembly of the children of Israel
grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 

 

There seems to be nothing that can make them happy.
They are constantly wanting more or something different.

At one point they even say they should have just stayed
where they were and lived as slaves.
The Lord, once again takes care of his chosen people.

Then the LORD said to Moses,
“I will now rain down bread from heaven for you.

Of course life is not easy day after day in the desert.
They are enduring a real hardship, but the reward is freedom.
God is taking care of them...he is showing them who he is.
He is proving that he is not the God of
but the God of providential care.

God does respond this day in the desert, but not because of their grumbling.
God responds because he keeps his covenant with his people.

God has a covenant with us too.
God  provided quail and flakes.
This story was probably the inspiration for frosted flakes.
The thought does make me smile.

 

 The gospel today is one we are very familiar...
the parable of the Sower and the Seed.
The Sower...God... goes out to plant the Seed...the Word...
Some of the seeds were eaten by the birds...our material world...
Some were scorched by the sun...our own selfishness...
Some were choked by thorns...our personal sinfulness...

But joyfully some seed fell upon rich fertile soil
and the harvest was abundant.
The harvest was more than abundant it exceeded the expected yield.

Back to the Israelites, not all of them were grumbling and complaining.
Some of them had hearts of fertile soil.
These were the ones who came to recognize
their great gift of friendship with God.

Where does this all leave us?
What can we do to prepare our heart to participate
in the abundant harvest?

Jesus says, 

Whoever has ears ought to hear.
 

Hear that God provided flakes of manna from heaven.
Here that he will never abandon his people.
Hear that today we have his words of spirit and life.
We have his presence in the Eucharist.
He comes down to us from heaven during the Consecration of each Mass.

Blessing come with ears that hear well.

Be Not Lukewarm

~~~ Revelation 3:1-6, 14-22 ~~~ Psalm 15 ~~~ Luke 19:1-10 ~~~

 

"...Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says..."

 

"...I wish you were either cold or hot.
So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold,
I will spit you out of my mouth."

 

Neither being cold or hot is the same as being apathetic or complacent.

God wants us to live our lives with passion.

We need to live a life convicted by our faith in God.

 

If we are neither cold or hot we just go thorough the motions of living.

Look at Paul, he was passionate about persecuting Christians but when God

entered into his life he flipped his passion to doing good.

 

Being lukewarm to God is not acceptable.

It is much more difficult to stand up for what you believe if you are tepid.

For a moment think about the temperature of water.

If the is either hot or cold it serves either to cook or to freeze something.

Extremes are noticed...given attention.

Lukewarm can be swayed either way depending on how the 'wind blows'.

 

 

'Behold, I stand at the door and knock.
If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,
then I will enter his house and dine with him,
and he with me.'

 

Zacchaeus was not satisfied to just hear the words of Jesus.

He climbed a tree so he could also see the person of Jesus.

He took a chance. He was not acting as someone who was lukewarm.

 

By climbing up into the tree he was not in his normal place.

Birds are in the trees not people.

Jesus noticed Zacchaeus up in the tree because it was not

the usual place for a person.

 

 

 

Jesus not only noticed him high up in the tree he also told him...

 

"Zacchaeus, come down quickly,
for today I must stay at your house."

 

The very next knock on Zacchaeus' door would be

announcing the arrival of Jesus.

 

Jesus would be standing at the door;

 having already made contact with Zacchaeus.

Zacchaeus was ready to receive Jesus into his home.

He heard what the Spirit said that day.

 

Even though a tax collector and wealthy

 he was open to hearing what Jesus had to say.

Zacchaeus was willing to change.

Did he have any idea what seeing Jesus would do to his life?

Would he have invited Jesus to dine in his home on his own?

 

This is another example of Jesus making the first move.

Jesus reached out to the small man perched high in the tree.

 

...If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,
then I will enter his house and dine with him,
and he with me.'

 

Neither be cold or hot...

Listen to the Spirit...

If you do hear his voice open the door...

he wants to dine with you.