The Sower

Sun, 10 Jul 2011

Matthew 13:1-11 (The Sower)

Whenever I hear the parable of the sower, my gardening instincts are aroused. Just let me get at that neglected field! Pull up the thorns! Sift out the rocks! Dig in the compost! Bring down the hoe! The preparation for planting a garden is a laborious task and the cultivation of the heart even more so. It is in the many decisions of every day that we either care for or neglect our interior garden. The Poor Clare’s form of monastic life is completely orientated toward nurturing in her the Word of God. She receives the abundant sowing of the seed again and again in the Liturgy of the Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours throughout the day. In the warmth of Eucharistic adoration she is warmed by the radiation of divine love. Her vows of poverty and obedience deepen her soil for the growth of the Word, while chastity and enclosure create space for its flourishing. Prayer and penance water and fertilize the seed so that it bears rich fruit for the Church and for the world.