Mk 4:1-20
Commentaries describe verses 10 to 12 of this Gospel as
obscure and difficult. “The mystery of the Kingdom of God has been granted to
you. But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that they may look
and see but not perceive, and hear and listen but not understand, in order that
they may not be converted and be forgiven.”
If there were ever words that could be used to justify sectarianism and exclusivism these
are prime examples. However, 'I'm-in-with-the-in-crowd'
thinking is not the only way to approach this parable. It is a misnamed parable.
It is not about the sower. It is about the seeds and the quality of the soil
where they land.
The seeds are distributed to all people. In the first example the recipients reject
the seeds out of arrogance. They are then
condemned because they first rejected God.
They may be irredeemable.
The second and third examples are fascinating because they
reflect reality for many. Without roots in
prayer and meditation on God’s word, it is easy to reject God with the
petulance of a cranky three year-old the moment life gets difficult. Tribulation and suffering define what it
means to be human. They are not an excuse to fall away or reject God.
The lure of riches and material goods, Jesus' third example,
may be more subtle. Gradually one has
fallen away from prayer, from meditating on God’s word, from participation in
the sacraments. Eventually one live in a world of egocentrism and
self-fulfillment.
I suspect we all want to see ourselves as fertile, rich and
fragrant soil. And in fact we are. Initially.
However, if we do not attend to the soil, if we do not monitor its
condition it may become thin, contaminated, and unable to sustain us in times
of trial and suffering. If we don’t
remove the thorns and weeds regularly through prayer, sacrifice, and the
sacraments we too will be choked and suffocated.
In the end this parable is not about predestination, fundamentalist
exclusivism or an everyone is equal
inclusivism that suggests anything we do is OK because God is with us. Rather, this parable suggests the importance of
personal choice and individual responsibility.
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It is approaching 11:30 PM. Generally I am asleep. However, am trying to remain awake a bit longer. At this time tomorrow I should be on the ground in Frankfurt, Germany. At that point there will be a five plus hour layover before a short hop to Ljubljana, Slovenia. Will be there for three weeks. The time will be spent between Ljubljana and Maribor, a town about 60 miles to the northwest. There may be a side trip to Budapest. Will be working primarily with Peter Rozic, SJ. Peter and I lived in community in D.C. for several years. It is his invitation to come over.
Candles are a fascinating if a bit cliched photo subject. I take a lot of candle shots if for no other reason than doing a lot of photography in churches.
This is a bank of candles on Holy Saturday before Mass. All candles are extinguished on Holy Thursday. None of the votive candles are lit until after the vigil Mass. The candles are being reflected in highly polished granite.
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