Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Matthew (13: 18-23) in which Jesus explains the Parable of the Sower to his disciples.

Fr Paul says in this Gospel we begin to hear about the factors that prevent a fruitful harvest in our lives. First and foremost, there is the lack of understanding. In other words, there are times when we might miss saying our prayers. There might be a time when our attention is distracted. There might be a time when we start out okay but as soon as it becomes a bit difficult, we stop. There are the times when the cares and worries of the world around us choke out and stop anything growing within us.

So, all these things and more hinder us from producing a harvest. All these things prevent that fruitful harvest from taking place within in us, However, when we hear the word and understand it; when we’ve nourished it, tended to it; then, we can yield a harvest.

Fr Paul closes by saying, when we have explored and deepened our understanding rather than let those other things get in the way, or stop us, that is when we can yield a harvest for our God.