Vocation Meditation - July 13

Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables. "Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!"

Jesus' ministry revolves around the building of the Kingdom of God in the heart of everyone. He not only taught them about it through His examples and through His miracles. Jesus took time to teach them, forming their hearts and educating their minds. He made use of every opportunity to preach the Word of God, be it before a household or by the sea through parables close to life experiences. Here, Jesus saw the crowd that followed Him, not as numbers but as individual hearers of His Word. By this Parable of the Sower and the Seed, He qualified each their capacity to welcome and keep the Word of God.

Vocation Challenge:
"Sow in me Your Word. My heart is ready, O God."
How can I avoid the seeds of superficiality to take hold of my 'soil'?

For the full Gospel reading for this Sunday, visit the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops site.

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