What Kind of Soil Are You?

The appointed Gospel reading for the Daily Prayer of the Church comes from the Gospel according to Matthew where we read the familiar story of the sower and the seed:

 

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the lake. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!’ (Mt. 13:1-9).

 

At different points in our lives, we can be different recipients of the sower’s seed.  Sometimes we are not inclined to listen and the seed fall of the pathway of our deaf ears.  At other times, we are rocky ground where nothing can take root, and whatever tries to grow is scorched. There are other times when we are so concerned with how we will survive during difficult times that our worries and concerns are like thorns which kill anything that tries to grow.  There are those other times, and perhaps they are rare, but we are receptive to God’s Word, and it takes root in us and it grows and we are able, through God’s good grace, to be productive bearer’s of God’s Good News bringing forth the healing that restores the world as God intended it to be.

 

Let us pray: Gracious God, we have nothing good in our lives except that which comes from you.  May Your Word take root among us that we may be faithful witnesses to the Good News of Jesus Christ, your Son, who makes all things a new creation through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

 

CALENDAR REMINDERS

 

Turn your clocks back one hour this Saturday evening. We all get an extra hour of blessed sleep.

 

The All Hallow’s Eve Children’s Party this Friday, 30 October from 6 to 9 PM at Sutton Hall at St. Augustine.  We are expecting 100 children, so please bring candy, hot dogs, buns, chip and fruit drinks! 

 

This Sunday is the Feast of All Saints.  We will read the names of all those from St. Augustine’s who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith.

 

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially the ill, young and old, the families of those who have recently died, especially, the Rev. Dr. Rhoda Montgomery, the rector of St. Thomas in College Station, who died from cancer this week, everyone suffering from Hurricane Patricia in Mexico, and all of those celebrating birthdays, especially Wanda Makowski.

 

Your servant in Christ,

 

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church

Galveston, Texas 77550