"But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance."
Luke 8:15
Listen, we can talk all day about the parable of the sower and the seed! It's a passage that reveals the outpouring of God's merciful love and challenges us to gauge our receptivity to that love. However, it's easy for us to become a little too familiar with the passage - which is why the final line is so important for us. After all, if you are praying with the readings every day using resources such as these, you probably have the "fertile soil" that the Lord is looking for. Which is awesome! But Jesus tells us in the gospel today that even with such fertile soil, good fruit can only be produced through perseverance. And any good gardener (or bad gardener, in my case) will tell you the same thing! You can plant the most picturesque garden bed with useful herbs or beautiful flowers, but if you aren't constantly caring for it, that "fertile soil" quickly becomes overrun by weeds, picked apart by pests, or scorched by the sun. In the same way, our faith life needs constant care to thrive. Fortunately, we don't have to work alone - we have our God, the master gardener, to restore us to life!
How does the Lord long to nurture your faith life today?
Lord Jesus, give us good and generous hearts to respond to Your incredible love.
Today's Reflection is by:
Fr. Lou Turcotte
Did you know...
Fr. Lou Turcotte grew up in Clearwater, attending Light of Christ Catholic Church with his parents and two sisters. He is an alumnus of St. Cecelia Interparochial School, Clearwater High, and the University of Florida, where he graduated with a degree in Marketing. Inspired by many priestly role models, he felt the LORD pulling him to discern the priesthood, and after an exciting, challenging, and transformative 7 years of seminary education, he was ordained a priest in 2018. After serving at St. Timothy in Lutz for two years, he now enjoys the beautiful waters of St. Raphael in St. Petersburg. His passions include national parks, aquariums, Chick-fil-A, Liverpool Football Club, and encountering Jesus alongside the faithful here in the Diocese of St. Petersburg.
