The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock. — Jeremiah 31:(see 10)

Mass Readings: Jeremiah 3:14-17 / Matthew 13:18-23 

A Lifetime of Seeding 

If you’ve ever had radishes or lettuce in your garden you know that seed packets recommend planting several times a few weeks or so apart throughout the season. That way you have a steady supply of fresh vegetables as the plants mature. That came to mind as I read today’s familiar parable of the seed falling on different types of ground. 

It seems that like a wise gardener, God continues to sow seeds at intervals in our lives. And like a wise gardener, He prepares us to be receptive to what He offers, what He asks, when we’re 20, 50, or 80-plus. But, of course, unlike a garden’s soil, we choose how much we’ll listen to Him. How much we’ll pay attention and do what He invites us to do, calls us to do, at each stage of our life. 

Prayer: Holy Spirit, give me the wisdom to recognize and do the Father’s will for me.