The parable of the Sower of the Seed was so important to the early Church that it is fully as an allegory in which each of the component symbols is explained. This is not an academic exercise. By and large, as cradle Catholics, we have seen the seeds of faith sown in ourselves and our families. Over the decades the reception of that faith and its fruitfulness have been manifested before our eyes. Looking at the Church in New Zealand, we are painfully aware that the harvest has been thin. The causes of failure are the same now as they were in the time of our Lord: "...the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart...when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word...the cares of the world and the lure of wealth" (Mtt 13: 19, 21 and 22). Luke also adds in his gospel: " the pleasures of life." (Lk 8: 14) What does it take for us to do so that the Word is vital in our lives? The parable tells us: "...this is the one who hears the word and understands it." (Mtt 13: 23)That is why we all need to be diligent in listening to the Gospel and striving to both understand it and apply it in our lives. This task, proper to all missionary disciples, takes application even when we feel that the going is tough due to sin, boredom and doubt: "...for we walk by faith, not by sight." (2 Cor 5: 7) We cannot be content to drift along in our faith: "For here we have no lasting city, but we are looking for the city that is to come." (Heb 13: 14) The challenges of this present life should not discourage us in the practice of our faith: "For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God." (Rm 8: 19-21)
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