< <  

Saturday, September 17, 2022

  > >

St. Robert Bellarmine
St. Hildegard of Bingen


1 Corinthians 15:35-37, 42-49
Psalm 56:10-14
Luke 8:4-15

View Readings
Similar Reflections

“let me sow your love”

“He spoke to them in a parable.” —Luke 8:4

The parable of the sower and the seed (Lk 8:4-8) is applied to sowing the Word of God, because Jesus specifically says the seed sowed by the farmer “is the word of God” (Lk 8:11). The homilist at this morning’s Mass mentioned that this parable also applies well to those who are sowing love. St. Francis of Assisi likewise mentioned this in his well-known prayer when he said, “where there is hatred, let me sow love.”

God sows love and His love falls on a footpath, representing people so trampled down that they cannot admit love into their hearts (Lk 8:5). The rocky ground is like the person who receives love by getting infatuated. But as a little time passes, they grow tired of the love relationship, whether with God or another person. Being without root, they walk away from authentic love (Lk 8:6). The thorny ground is the person who does receive love, responds to it, but makes other choices that distract their heart from growing in authentic love. Such a heart does not commit fully to true, sacrificial love, and so love is stifled (Lk 8:7).

The fourth heart is the good soil which receives love, nurtures it, allows it to take deep root, and bears the abundant fruit of love (Lk 8:8). Love is “the greatest” gift of all (1 Cor 13:13). Open your heart to receive every last drop of God’s outpoured love (Rm 5:5). Receive the love of God daily, especially in the Holy Eucharist at daily Mass.

Prayer:  Father, nothing can separate me from Your love (Rm 8:39). Accordingly, may I never separate myself from Your love.

Promise:  “The seed you sow does not germinate unless it dies.” —1 Cor 15:36

Praise:  St. Robert Bellarmine was made a cardinal by Pope Clement VIII in 1599. At the time, the Pope commented, “The Church has not his equal in learning.”

Reference:  (This teaching was submitted by a member of our editorial team.)

Rescript:  "In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from August 1, 2022 through September 30, 2022. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio January 31, 2022"

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.