Laziness, vices prevent seeds of Gospel from taking root, pope says
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IMAGE: CNS photo/Ciro Fusco, EPABy Carol GlatzVATICAN CITY (CNS) -- God proposes -- not imposes -- his Gospeland offer of salvation, putting the responsibility of being open to and movedby his message on the listener, Pope Francis said.Jesus doesn't draw people to him by conquering them, butby giving himself, like a sower, spreading "with patience and generosityhis word, which isn't a cage or a trap, but a seed that can bear fruit" ifpeople welcome it, the pope said before praying the Angelus July 16.Speaking to people gathered in St. Peter's Square, thepope reflected on the Sunday reading from the Gospel of St. Matthew, in whichJesus speaks to the crowds about the parable of the sower.The parable, the pope said, speaks more about the soilthan the sower because the quality of the terrain is critical for whether aseed will eventually bear fruit.In Jesus' parable, the seed that falls on rich soilproduces fruit, while seed that falls on hard or rocky ground or among thethorns does not...
IMAGE: CNS photo/Ciro Fusco, EPA
By Carol Glatz
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- God proposes -- not imposes -- his Gospel
and offer of salvation, putting the responsibility of being open to and moved
by his message on the listener, Pope Francis said.
Jesus doesn't draw people to him by conquering them, but
by giving himself, like a sower, spreading "with patience and generosity
his word, which isn't a cage or a trap, but a seed that can bear fruit" if
people welcome it, the pope said before praying the Angelus July 16.
Speaking to people gathered in St. Peter's Square, the
pope reflected on the Sunday reading from the Gospel of St. Matthew, in which
Jesus speaks to the crowds about the parable of the sower.
The parable, the pope said, speaks more about the soil
than the sower because the quality of the terrain is critical for whether a
seed will eventually bear fruit.
In Jesus' parable, the seed that falls on rich soil
produces fruit, while seed that falls on hard or rocky ground or among the
thorns does not.
The pope said the parable is like Jesus taking a
"spiritual X-ray" of the different conditions of the heart that reveal
how receptive it may or not be to God's Word.
If a heart is hard and impenetrable, it's like asphalt or
cobblestones, he said, because the seed of the Gospels "bounces off"
and doesn't sink in.
A weak, "superficial heart," is like rocky
ground with little soil; a seed may sprout, but the tender plant is vulnerable
to harsh conditions because of a lack of roots, he said.
A superficial heart that lacks depth welcomes the Lord,
"wants to pray, love and give witness, but it does not persevere, it gets
tired out and never takes off." The roots of faith can never sink deep because
there are too many "stones of laziness" in the way and "love is
fickle and fleeting," the pope said.
A seed tossed among thorns will choke new growth, he
said, and the thorns represent a heart filled with "worldly anxiety and
the lure of riches"; they are "vices that come to blows with
God," suffocating his presence, the pope said.
If people spend more time cultivating "the idols of
worldly riches, living greedily -- for themselves, for possession and for
power," he said, then "we choke off the growth of God in us."
People must reflect on their heart's condition and, like
a gardener, reclaim and work their land -- their hearts -- by eliminating the
weeds and stones of vices and weaknesses.
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Follow Glatz on Twitter: @CarolGlatz.
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St. Stanislaus of Szczepanów is depicted as the patron saint of Poland in a miniature painted by Stanislaw Samostrzelnik of Mogila. / Credit: Polona Digital Library|Wikimedia|PD-ArtWashington, D.C. Newsroom, May 8, 2024 / 16:53 pm (CNA).Pope Francis during his Wednesday general audience invoked the intercession of St. Stanislaus, patron saint of Poland, for peace in Ukraine and Israel.Addressing Polish pilgrims in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, the pope said: "Today you celebrate the solemnity of St. Stanislaus, bishop and martyr, patron of your homeland.""St. John Paul II wrote of him," Francis went on, "that from high in heaven, he shared in the sufferings and hopes of your nation, sustaining its survival, especially during the Second World War."Francis prayed that the intercession of St. Stanislaus "obtain, even today, the gift of peace in Europe and throughout the world, especially in Ukraine and the Middle East."What does Poland have to do with these wars? This co...
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null / Credit: ShutterstockCNA Staff, May 8, 2024 / 17:23 pm (CNA).A trio of Catholic radio networks has filed a petition against the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over new requirements that will soon mandate that all U.S. radio and television stations publish information about the race and gender of their employees.In a 3-2 ruling in February, the commissioners of the FCC reinstated a requirement that radio stations must annually file a document, known as Form 395-B, that lists the race and gender of their employees.The FCC governs radio stations transmitting on AM or FM frequencies, satellite radio and TV stations, cable networks, and broadcast TV stations. These entities are required to maintain a summary of publicly accessible information known as a public file, with varying requirements among the types of stations regarding what must be contained in the file.The FCC had not required Form 395-B since 2004, following a 2001 ruling by t...
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Servant of God Nino Baglieri. / Credit: ANS/SalesiansACI Prensa Staff, May 8, 2024 / 17:53 pm (CNA).The diocesan phase of the cause of beatification of the Servant of God Nino Baglieri has been closed in Modica, a town in southern Sicily. Overcoming his bitterness due to his quadriplegic condition, Baglieri gave himself to the mission of evangelizing through the means available to him. The closing of the diocesan phase, according to the Salesian News Agency, took place on Sunday, May 5, in Mother of St. Peter church, where a solemn Eucharist was celebrated by Salvatore Rumeo, the bishop of Noto. In his homily, the prelate related that on May 5, 1951, Baglieri received baptism, "becoming a Christian."Regarding the servant of God, he emphasized that "prayer for Nino was everything: Despite his suffering, like a light that shines and burns, he managed to infect others with the meaning of true prayer."Addressing the servant of God in prayer, Rumeo said: "We are grateful t...