Daily Catholic Lectio. Wed, 29 January ’25. Life as a Seed

Daily Catholic Lectio

Wed, 29 January ‘25

Third Week in Ordinary Time – Wednesday

Hebrews 10:11-18. Psalm 110. Mark 4:1-20

Life as a Seed

Today’s Gospel reading tells the parable of the Sower and the seeds. Before the Gospel, we proclaim, “The seed is the Word of God, and Christ is the Sower.” Let us reflect on how our life is like a seed, and Christ is the one who gives it growth.

Although life treats everyone differently, there are some things we all share, like the gift of life itself. We do not control it, just as we cannot stop time, which keeps moving forward. Life is a journey toward fulfilment.

However, why do we sometimes fail to live fully or bear good fruit, even when life gives us so much?

In the parable, Jesus describes four types of soil: (a) The path – where seeds are trampled and eaten by birds. (b) Rocky ground – where seeds sprout quickly but wither because the soil is shallow. (c) Thorny ground – where seeds grow but are choked by thorns. (d) Good soil – where seeds grow and bear fruit, yielding thirty, sixty, or a hundred times more.

Jesus explains that the seed fails to grow or bear fruit in three types of bad soil: (a) The hardened path – Constant walking makes the soil too hard for seeds to take root. Birds eat the seeds before they can grow. (b) Rocky ground – The shallow soil allows seeds to sprout quickly, but the roots cannot grow deep. When the sun comes up, the plants dry out. (c) Among thorns – Seeds fall into seemingly safe, green areas, but the thorns stifle their growth, preventing fruitfulness.

But seeds that fall on good soil grow and bear fruit. The amount of fruit depends on several factors:

Thirtyfold – through our own hard work.

Sixtyfold – when both effort and favourable circumstances come together.

A hundredfold – when God’s grace blesses our lives abundantly.

Let us think about this parable as if the “seed” represents our life.

(a) Hardened paths and birds – Some people’s lives are like hardened paths. No matter how hard they try, they remain stuck. Others take over their time and energy, leaving them feeling like they are living someone else’s life.

(b) Rocky ground – Some people stop trying because life feels easy for a while. But when problems come, they lose hope because they didn’t build a strong foundation.

(c) Thorny ground – Worries, greed, and selfishness can seem harmless at first but stop us from growing and living a full life.

(d) Good soil – Even in good conditions, the results vary. Hard work produces thirtyfold, effort combined with favourable situations yields sixtyfold, and true abundance, a hundredfold, comes only with God’s grace. As the psalmist says,

“Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders work in vain. Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchmen stay awake in vain” (Psalm 127:1).

In today’s first reading, we hear, “By one sacrifice, He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy” (Hebrews 10:14). Aaronic sacrifices, offered year after year, bore fruits thirtyfold; but Jesus’ sacrifice, offered on the cross, bears fruits hundredfold. 

May God, the source of all blessings, help us to bear good and abundant fruit – hundredfold – in our lives!

Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi

Archdiocese of Madurai

Missionary of Mercy