The parable of the sower – where the sower is a terrible farmer – For there he is throwing seed everywhere – even where he knows it will not grow – that is a waste of money – no farmer plants where he knows nothing will grow – planting is expensive – so be strategic with a plan to maximize yield –but not so with the kingdom – for God is generous always giving, even if it will not bear fruit
Yet, if God is so generous with his grace – and the Word is spread all over – why does the kingdom seem to only sometimes bear fruit – on others appearing to have no effect? Why only in some does it seem to bear great fruit, yielding “a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold” even though God has generously sown everywhere?
Unusually, but here helpfully, Jesus provides an explanation of the parable – In good soil, there is a significant yield – yet the seed in different places do not – There are three ways that seed can be destroyed – birds, if exposed, weak roots in rocks, or choked out by weeds - In the Christian tradition, these come to be understood as the three traditional enemies of the soul – The world, the flesh, and the devil.
If one does not understand what one hears – it is easy pickings for the evil one to steal away – The evil one is looking to destroy the soul, and lack of understanding is no defense – Think of one who has been taught the faith, but they do not understand what Christians believe – I hear this all the time – “I used to be Catholic, and Catholics think x” – and x is just wrong. If we do not know our faith – we are easy pickings – and bear no fruit.
But it is not just, or even mainly the devil, but also the flesh that can be an enemy of the soul – for if one’s faith has no depth, it is like a plant with shallow roots - easily pulled up - if one’s faith is shallow – when temptation, tribulation, or persecution comes the faith fails, for there is no depth to handle it. Is someone a fair-weather Christian? Does one have the roots to take whatever might come? Or will one fall away when times are hard – bearing no fruit.
Then there is the danger of the world – with all of its allurements and attractions – weeds can choke our a plant – and “worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word” – some are too distracted by work, sports, pop culture, new tv shows, current events, politics, economic, or any of a multitude of worldly things to spend time to pray, to listen and understand the Word – and so they bear no fruit.
Three enemies of the soul – and it is easy to look at them and be terrified – how can I fight against these? Weak, nervous, anxious, distracted – what are we to do? – If one only considers the first three examples in the parable, there is some practical advice – one must know the faith, be strong in challenging times, and not be distracted away by other things – But I would propose that the culmination of the parable is not in the examples of why the Word so generously spread does not bear fruit – but about the place it does – the seed in rich soil.
A plant in rich soil – away from weeds, where roots can grow deep – no bird can steal the seen away that has sprouted – and with deep roots, no minor tribulation will tear it out – and free of weeds, it can grow and bear fruit – Similar is the Christian who “hears the word and understands it” –the question becomes not merely how do we avoid the three enemies of the soul – but how do we hear the Word and understand such that the enemies are no longer a threat?
The answer to the three enemies of the soul is not merely to make practical plans against them – but to have a deep-rooted faith trusting in God such that the enemies of the soul have no influence – for the world, the flesh, and the devil have no power over Christ.
“Hear the word and understand it” - The Word is the scriptures, yes – but it is also Christ himself – the Word made flesh – to hear and understand is to know Christ – not just to know about him, but to know him - to die with Christ that we might live in Christ –This starts with the Mass – the source and summit - were we participate in Christ’s offering to the father and receive Him, body, blood, soul, and divinity. But continues throughout our prayer and devotions.
One devotion that particularly comes to mind is Eucharistic adoration – something we regularly have here – In the Church for an hour after the Friday Mass and Wednesday through Friday in the adoration chapel. Adoration is a chance to sit with Jesus – body, blood, soul, and divinity for an extended period – prolonging what we do during Mass – allowing our love of Christ to deepen – being rich soil, letting that seed – the Word grow in us.
As Pope Benedict wrote in Sacramentum Caritatis, “Eucharistic adoration is simply the natural consequence of the Eucharistic celebration, which is itself the Church’s supreme act of adoration... The act of adoration outside Mass prolongs and intensifies all that takes place during the liturgical celebration itself.”
At the end of this month, we will have a 40-hour devotion – 40 (ish) hours of continuous adoration in the Church – the 40 hours coming from the traditional length of time Christ was in the tomb. There will be some conferences, rosary, divine mercy chaplet – all worth coming to – but also a time of silence before the Eucharist exposed on the altar – Christ, body, blood, soul, and divinity– it is a chance to come by, even for a few minutes and just sit with Christ, to listen and hear the Word – to know Christ – that we might hear the Word and understand.
All of this knowing that if we hear and understand the Word, if we know and love Christ, accepting the generous gifts of God – then those enemies of the soul ultimately have no power – for Christ is greater.