In the Parable of the Seed and the Sower, Jesus teaches us how the word of God is received by people, “Listen, then if you have ears.”

How do we listen to and hear the word of God? How often have we caught ourselves distracted or preoccupied with many other things even at Mass and prayer-time!

When asked by his disciples about the parables in his teaching, Jesus replied, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But for those outside, everything comes in parables, so that the more they see, they do not perceive; the more they hear, they do not understand; otherwise they would be converted and pardoned.”

St. Thomas Aquinas wrote “that for the knowledge of any divine truth, man needs divine help. . . while human beings have the natural capacity, even this is given to man according to man’s nature.”

Knowledge and understating of the truth are graces from God. God’s word, the seed sown by the sower, will grow only if we are completely open and allow it to take root, grow and bear fruit. In addition to learning to listen, hear and understand, the word of God must be lived in our lives.

We who have received the grace of hearing the word of God are called to allow it to grow and bear fruit. We can only bear fruit if we are rooted in Jesus, if we nourish our day with prayer and especially with the Eucharist and other helps given by Jesus through the Church.. All these graces and helps, God is ready to give to us: all we need to do is to ask.