It is up to each person, constantly renewed by the Eucharist, to become good soil so they can bear the good fruit of the seeds of the Gospel in their lives, Pope Francis has said.
The Holy Father was reflecting on the parable of the sower from the Gospel of Matthew, before reciting the Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday.
He explained how the seed is a parable for the word of God which can fall on three kinds of unproductive terrains – a path, stoney ground, and a thorny bush.
Only the fourth ground which is good allows the seed to take root and bear fruit. “The perfect model of this good ground is the Virgin Mary,” he said.
“This parable speaks to each of us today, as it spoke to the listeners of Jesus two thousand years ago,” the Pope said. “It reminds us that we are the land where the Lord tirelessly throws the seed of His Word and His love.”
But he posed some questions: “What is our disposition when we receive it? How is our heart? What does the ground look like: a path, a stone, a thorn bush?”
The Pope stressed it is “up to us” to become “good soil without thorns or stones, but tilled and cultivated with care, so that it can bring forth good fruit for us and for our brothers.
“At every Mass,” he said, “the good seed of the Gospel is sown in us ever anew, by means of the table of the Word of God: a seed to be accepted, to safeguard, to live.
“Even in these summer months, during the holiday period,” he continued, “it is important to participate every Sunday at this table, to draw light and strength for our journey.”
After the Angelus prayer, the Pope highlighted that today, July 13th, the Church marks “Sea Sunday”.
“I turn my thoughts to seafarers, fishermen and their families,” he said. “I urge the Christian communities, particularly those living on coasts, that they be attentive and sensitive towards them.
“I invite the chaplains and volunteers of the Apostleship of the Sea to continue their commitment to the pastoral care of these brothers and sisters. I entrust all, especially those who are in difficulty and away from home, to the maternal protection of Mary, Star of the Sea.”
The Pope said he also joined in prayer with the pastors and the faithful who are participating in the pilgrimage of the Family of Radio Maria at Jasna Gora, Czestochowa.
He also greeted “with affection all the spiritual sons and daughters of St. Camillus de Lellis.” The religious order marks the 400th anniversary of his death July 14th. “I invite the Camillan family, at the height of this jubilee year, to be a sign of the Lord Jesus who, as the Good Samaritan, tends to the wounds of the body and the spirit of suffering humanity, pouring the oil of consolation and the wine of hope,” he said.
“To you who have gathered here in St Peter’s Square, as well as to health professionals serving in your hospitals and nursing homes, I wish that you grow more and more in the charism of charity, fueled by daily contact with the sick.”
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On ZENIT’s webpage:
Full English translation of Pope’s Angelus address
