The Catholic Calendar for Saturday, September 18, 2004
Saturday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
1 Corinthians 15:35-37,42-49
Psalm 56:10-14
Luke 8:4-15

A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

Bear Fruit Through Perseverance

The parable of the sower and the seed depicts the deadly outcomes that befall the unconditioned soul. Jesus desires life for all souls. The solution Jesus details involves three characteristics necessary to support Life.

The first characteristic is "enriched soil." Rich soil is comprised of many good nutrients. Human "soil", can only be enriched when it is willing to add something to itself and is open to receive good. This humility denies self to make room to take in something greater. Prayer, contemplation, sacraments, service and suffering enrich us.

The second characteristic - a generous and good heart first knows the love of being created for Love alone. Single-hearted devotion compels a generous and good heart with an endless capacity to love, in, with and through Love bearing much fruit.

The third characteristic, perseverance, requires our act of will and truly re-presents ourselves to God. He invites us to choose to love Him back with each thought, word and deed, with all our hearts, minds and souls, at every instant and in all circumstances. Through perseverance we give our little fiats, our "I do" to The One. Perseverance requires self denial, discipline, patience and humility.

O Love that desires to bear fruit in the love so freely bestowed in the soil of our beings, grace us with perseverance to single-heartedly remain in you. Preserve us from the temptations of the devil to become anxious, greedy or lustful, turning our hearts to self, rather than to love. Amen

- Mary Williams
(wlmsconsul at pdq dot net)

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posted by joachim at 4:14 AM