Good soil

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Silent, Surrendered

Margaret Rizza

Today is Wednesday the 28th of January, the feast of Saint Thomas Aquinas, in the 3rd week of Ordinary Time.

'Silent, surrendered, calm and still. Open to the word of God.' In all that is going on in and around you, all the movement, all the noise, can you find a moment of calmness and stillness now? Can you feel God’s presence here, and surrender yourself to it? Opening yourself to listen to God’s word?

3:19

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Mark.

Mark 4:1-9

Again [Jesus] began to teach beside the lake. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the lake and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the lake on the land. He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.’ And he said, ‘Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’

5:22

In Mark’s gospel, whenever Jesus is beside the sea, something important happens. What do you think is the important thing that’s taking place here?

Why do you think Jesus is in a boat? What significance might this hold?

Jesus tells a story about different kinds of soil here. Did you notice how many different kinds he mentions? Reflect on what they might represent.

Now hear the passage again. What’s the first word that Jesus says, and what’s the last word? Why do you think this is? What’s the message to you today?

8:33

Mark 4:1-9

Again [Jesus] began to teach beside the lake. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the lake and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the lake on the land. He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.’ And he said, ‘Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’

10:17

Finally, in your own words, address your prayer to God, the generous sower.

12:20

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be

World without end

Amen