In Luke 8:4-15 are mentioned four categories of people who receive the seed of the divine word in different ways. It compares them to the hard ground, to the stony soil, to the earth choked with thorns, and lastly, to the good fertile field.
The hard grounds: souls that are frivolous, dissipated, open to all distractions, rumours, and curiosity; admitting all kinds of creatures and earthly affections. The word of God hardly reaches their heart when the enemy, having free access, carries it off, thus preventing it from taking root.
The stony ground: superficial souls with only a shallow layer of good earth, which will be rapidly blown away, along with the good seed, by the winds of passion. These souls easily grow enthusiastic, but do not persevere and "in time of temptation fall away". They are unstable, because they have not the courage to embrace renunciation and to make the sacrifices which are necessary if one wishes to remain faithful to the word of God and to put it into practice in all circumstances. Their fervour is a straw fire which dies down and goes out in the face of the slightest difficulty.
The ground covered with thorns: souls that are preoccupied with worldly things, pleasures, material interests and affairs. The seed takes root, but the thorns, but the thorns soon choke it by depriving it of air and light. Excessive solicitude for temporal things eventually stifles the rights of the spirit.
Lastly, the good ground is compared by Jesus to those "who, with a good and upright heart, hearing the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit in patience." The good and upright heart is the one which always gives first place to God, which seeks before everything else the kingdom of God and His justice. The seed of the divine word will bear abundant fruit in proportion to the good dispositions it finds in us: recollection, a serious and profound interior life, detachment, sincere seeking for the things of God above and beyond all earthly things, and finally, perseverance, without which the word of God cannot bear its fruit in us.
Today is memorial of Blessed Archangela Girlani, Virgin of the Carmelite Order. She came from noble family, since her childhood she was showing the unusual piety towards God and charity towards her neighbour. She was determined to live consecrated life and her example was followed by her two cousins. She entered Of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mt Carmel in Parma. She excelled in the practice of virtue and soon was elected the Mother Superior.
Lastly, the good ground is compared by Jesus to those "who, with a good and upright heart, hearing the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit in patience." The good and upright heart is the one which always gives first place to God, which seeks before everything else the kingdom of God and His justice. The seed of the divine word will bear abundant fruit in proportion to the good dispositions it finds in us: recollection, a serious and profound interior life, detachment, sincere seeking for the things of God above and beyond all earthly things, and finally, perseverance, without which the word of God cannot bear its fruit in us.
Today is memorial of Blessed Archangela Girlani, Virgin of the Carmelite Order. She came from noble family, since her childhood she was showing the unusual piety towards God and charity towards her neighbour. She was determined to live consecrated life and her example was followed by her two cousins. She entered Of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mt Carmel in Parma. She excelled in the practice of virtue and soon was elected the Mother Superior.
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