“But since they have no root; they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.” – Mark 4:17

       Tribulation was never the enemy of greatness for me. Neither was persecution. As a matter of fact, I always thrived during such times, eager to show what I was made of.

       But when things turn to good, that’s when the enemy of greatness slowly creeps in. It’s called complacency. When things become comfortable, little problems along the way start to feel like tribulation. When things become convenient, small challenges that I encounter start to feel like persecution.

       The desire for too much comfort and convenience causes us to be complacent. This slows down the growth of the seeds of greatness that God planted in us. We become shallow and easy to uproot. We become distracted, easily blown away by the winds of resistance.

         So be consistent, whether or not things go your way.

       Let your roots grow deep. Grow those seeds of greatness. Orange Garcia (og@orangegarcia.com)

Reflect: It never matters how or where we start. What matters most is that we finish — and that we finish strong.

Lord, give me the courage and strength to be consistent — to never give in, to never give up, and to just keep going. Amen.

St. Francis de Sales, bishop and doctor of the Church, pray for us.

God promises David that his legacy will endure until the end of the world. However, it is his son Solomon who will build a temple for the Ark of the Covenant. God rewarded David’s faithfulness by placing Israel on firm footing in the world. It is a power that surrounding nations will need to consider seriously. What legacy do you want to leave behind for generations to come?

4 That night the Lord spoke to Nathan and said: 5 “Go, tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: Should you build me a house to dwell in? 6 I have not dwelt in a house from the day on which I led the children of Israel out of Egypt to the present, but I have been going about in a tent under cloth. 7 In all my wanderings everywhere among the children of Israel, did I ever utter a word to any one of the judges whom I charged to tend my people Israel, to ask: Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’ 8 Now then, speak thus to my servant David, ‘The Lord of hosts has this to say: It was I who took you from the pasture and from the care of the flock to be commander of my people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you went, and I have destroyed all your enemies before you. And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth. 10 I will fix a place for my people Israel; I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place without further disturbance. Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old, 11 since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel. I will give you rest from all your enemies. The Lord also reveals to you that he will establish a house for you. 12 And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your their after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his Kingdom firm. 13 It is he who shall build a house for my name. And I will make his royal throne firm forever. 14 I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. And if he does wrong, I will correct him with the rod of men and with human chastisements; 15 but I will not withdraw my favor from him as I withdrew it from your predecessor Saul, whom I removed from my presence. 16 Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.’” 17 Nathan reported all these words and this entire vision to David.

R: Forever I will maintain my love for my servant.

3 [4] “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: 4 [5] I will make your dynasty stand forever and establish your throne through all ages.” (R) 26 [27] “He shall say of me, ‘You are my father, my God, the Rock that brings me victory!’ 27 [28] I myself make him firstborn, Most High over the kings of the earth.” (R) 28 [29] “Forever I will maintain my love for him; and my covenant with him stands firm. 29 [30] I will establish his dynasty forever, his throne as the days of heaven.” (R)

A life of faith is about providing the right environment for faith to grow and flourish. Today’s parable reminds us of the many challenges we face in our faith life. Let us pray that we may become rich soil for God to plant the seed of faith and allow it to grow. Only then can we bear fruit for His Kingdom.

The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower; all who come to him will live forever.

1 On another occasion, Jesus began to teach by the sea. A very large crowd gathered around him so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down. And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land. 2 And he taught them at length in parables, and in the course of his instruction he said to them, 3 “Hear this! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots. 7 Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it and it produced no grain. 8 And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit. It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” 9 He added, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.” 10 And when he was alone, those present along with the Twelve questioned him about the parables. 11 He answered them, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been granted to you. But to those outside everything comes in parables, 12 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.” 13 Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 These are the ones on the path where the word is sown. As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once and takes away the word sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who, when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy. 17 But they have no root; they last only for a time. Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word, 19 but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. 20 But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”

Read the Bible in one year Matthew 25-28

T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST

thank You, Lord, for: ______________________________________

SIMPLIFY

A parable is an illustrative way of narrating higher realities of life and faith in simple terms. It demands openness because its simplicity always confronts and questions our beliefs and convictions to discover the mystery of God Himself. It is from the French word “parabolein,” meaning “along the way” or “by the roadside.” This is why Jesus spoke in parables: to shake off all the complexities we often put about Him, leading into empty worship and even idolatry because we have complicated things like honesty and sincerity, love and kindness, mercy and forgiveness, including our coming and receiving Him.

       So often while praying, I realize how we give so much emphasis on many things in the parish, forgetting that the most basic yet summit of Christian life is the Holy Eucharist. People would go to great lengths, like doing certain devotions, but forgetting the simplest yet most important form of worship, which is the Eucharist. In this age of social media, almost everybody would want something spectacular, but which often lack depth and substance.

       Jesus reminds us to simplify things, even our worship, rather than complicate things. The Eucharist is the “good soil” where the Sower sowed most of His seeds that bore fruit, “a hundred, or sixty or thirtyfold.” It is in the celebration of the Eucharist that we hear God speaking to us in the proclamation of His Word, and to which we always respond, “Thanks be to God.” Most of all, it is in the Holy Communion where we are nourished not only for our present life but also for the life to come. Fr. Nick Lalog

------- REFLECTION QUESTIONS -------

God as a Sower is so good and lavishes us with His Word in every Eucharistic celebration. But do we pay attention or at least come on time to hear the Word of God? Do we participate actively in the Holy Mass? How we answer these questions indicate what kind of soil we are on which these seeds fell.

Lord Jesus Christ, help me to simplify my life, to find You and receive You always in the simplest ways You reveal Yourself to me. Teach me to avoid all glamour and spectacles for You are not there. Amen.

Today, I pray for: _______________________________________