Today we have the parable of the Sower of the Seed. It must have been an important story for the Early Church as it is found in all three of the synoptic Gospels with the parable and its full interpretation, as an allegory, along with it. Surely, having seen the power of the Word proclaimed by Jesus, the first evangelizers were disappointed when converts fell away from the faith or failed to yield the fruit that they were capable of? I can identify with that as I see the Gospel proclaimed Sunday after Sunday, the work of the Catholic schools and that of devout parishioners who do their best to serve God yielding such a meagre harvest of faith. It is important that we realise that the power is not in us but in the Word. We are there to sow and to be generous in our sowing even as we know the soil is thin in places and society full of perils. The fact that the Word is not received is not due to our failings or any shortcoming in the message. It is up to the actions of the Evil One (Mtt 13: 19), trouble of persecution (v. 21) or the cares of the world and the lure of wealth (v. 22). This should not distract us because if we look closer we can also see a great harvest in those who hear the Word and understand it (v. 23). Let us also be alert, not just to the positive stories of faith, but also to the fruit that is or is not evident in our own harvest. Am I producing the fruit of the Kingdom?
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