‘Let us ask ourselves if our heart is open to receive the seed of the Word of God with faith.’
Pope Francis gave this invitation to the pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square during his Sunday, July 16, 2017, Angelus address at noon as he reflected on yesterday’s Gospel which recounts the parable of the sower.
While reminding that Jesus is the sower, the Pontiff pointed out that since the parable speaks more about the land, it concerns us personally.
This soil, where the sower throws the seeds, the Jesuit Pope explained, can bear fruit, or, if ‘stony’ or ‘thorny,’ can be completely wasted.
«Jesus effects, so to speak, a ‘spiritual x-ray’ of our heart,» Pope Francis explained, «which is the soil on which the seed of His Word falls. Our heart, like the soil, can be good and then the Word bears fruit – and so much — but it can also be hard, impermeable.»
If it is hard and impermeable, the Pope warned, when we hear the Word, «it bounces off, like, as [it does] on a road: it does not enter us.»
«Jesus invites us today to look within ourselves: to be grateful for our good soil and to work on the soil that is not yet good,» the Pope said, offering those present some questions to consider.
«Let us ask ourselves if our heart is open to receive the seed of the Word of God with faith. Let us ask ourselves if the stones of laziness are still numerous and large in us; let us identify and call by name the brambles of vices.»
The Pope encouraged faithful «to find the courage to make a good ‘soil remediation,’ a good remediation of our heart, by bringing to the Lord in Confession and prayer our stones and our brambles.»
Thus Jesus, the good sower, he noted, «will be happy to carry out an additional work: to purify our heart, removing the stones and thorns that choke the Word.»
Pope Francis prayed that Our Lady of Mount Carmel, whose feast day was celebrated yesterday, July 16, help all faithful to purify their hearts and keep the Lord always present in their minds.
As usual, Pope Francis concluded, telling those present to have a good Sunday and good lunch.
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On Zenit’s Web page:
Full Text: https://zenit.org/articles/angelus-address-on-the-parable-of-the-sower/
