Field Work

Gospel: Mark 4: 1-20

The field of the sower is an image for an individual soul.  Parts of our souls are rocky, others thorny, and still others very shallow.  These are areas where God's word is being resisted, where we are reluctant or even refuse to live mercy and love in the world.  It may be laziness, or it may be that we fail or refuse to love our enemies, the foreigner and stranger, or anyone different from us.  

These are areas of the soul where deep work needs to be done: rock needs to be broken up and removed; thorns and weeds need to be rooted out; soil needs to be deepened and fertilized.  All of this work will be difficult and frustrating, but if we allow God to do this work within us, we will find ourselves more loving, more merciful and compassionate people.  

We can also rejoice and give thanks that there is a portion of our soul where growth is taking place.  That growth can inspire us and give us a sense of hope that more areas of our soul can be fruitful and loving.  Such progress will take time and patience; it will not occur overnight any more than this farm work will.  If we allow God to do this work and cooperate with it, we can be sure that all will be well in the garden of our soul.