Kingdom of God grows

September 23, Saturday of the 24th Week of Ordinary Time
Daily Readings: 1 Timothy 6:13–16;  Gospel: Luke 8:4–15

The knowledge that our students will most likely forget the information we teach them is what makes teaching frustrating. This is the same thing with parenting. Whatever values parents inculcate will not always have a deep impact on their children.

This is the same case with priests who preach the Word of God. How many churchgoers will remember a homily that will change their lives or ways of thinking and acting?

In our gospel, Jesus likens the preaching of the Word of God to that of the farmer sowing seeds. The seeds fall on different kinds of soil. Many fail to grow and bear fruit. This can be frustrating and discouraging.

But there is good news. The few seeds that fall on good soil grow and bear fruit several hundredfold. This is how the Kingdom of God grows. This is also how the Church spreads throughout the world.

Perhaps we should examine ourselves from two perspectives. First as sowers of the Word. As followers of Jesus, we share in his prophetic mission of preaching the good news of the kingdom and teaching the values by which we are to live. We carry out this mission in our own way, whether as parents, teachers, religious, or priests.

Whenever we doubt whether our efforts will bear fruit, we need to believe and hope that none of them will go to waste. Whatever we teach, preach, and write will find a listening heart and can change their lives and society.

On the other hand, as hearers of the Word, we have to reflect on what kind of soil we are at every moment in our lives. There are times when we do not listen because we are filled with other concerns and worries.

When we find the time to really listen, even to just snippets of the Word, and live it, we will be surprised at how much it can make a difference in our lives and those of others.