Wednesday of week 3 in Ordinary Time

Today’s gospel from Mark includes a very familiar parable – the Sower and the Seed. In this story, Jesus likens seeds, and the ground on which it falls, to how people hear the Word. As some seed falls along the path and is eaten by the birds, so some people hear the word of God and it “goes in one ear and out the other”. And so on. But like any parable, it is more for those who can listen with the ears of the heart, than the understanding of the mind.
As we hear this parable our first response might be “What is my ground like? Are there a lot of birds and weeds? How deeply is the Word rooted in me? Am I easily distracted? Am I bearing good fruit, and if so, how much? And what is it?” And this might be fruitful prayer.