Homily - Parable of the Soils

Here is my homily from Mass today.

Feast of St. Francis de Sales

2 Samuel 7:4-17

Mark 4:1-20

Throughout the Bible agricultural terms are used to help the listener or reader better understand what is being taught by the sacred text. Many times, we find Israel referred to as a vineyard, meaning something that needs planting and tending. Also, our Lord also uses many of these same images in his preaching. Today, we have him talking about the different soils that people would see around the country side in their daily life. He uses these to explain the different situations that people find themselves in as they journey through life. It works well because it is something tangible, we can easily understand what Jesus is talking about. We can put our hands on it, his meaning is not hidden from us. The Saint that we celebrate today, Francis de Sales, he was also very fond of using many illustrations from nature in his writings. He does so for the very same reasons, it helps to keep his mediations grounded in reality. Grounded to where people live and what type issues they encounter in their daily work and actions.

Today’s two readings work well together because they both share the idea of something being planted. Seeds in the Gospel and Israel herself in the first reading. The Lord says to David, “And I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies.” (2 Sam 7:1-11) Here God himself is planting Israel, telling her that one day she will be firmly established as a faithful people and nothing will be able to uproot here out of the hand of God. Not sin or death, which is represented by these enemies that might afflict God's people. No, God himself will establish this dwelling place, a place of growth between God and man. Who is to do this, David or someone else? The Lord goes own to tell David, “When your days are fulfilled, and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before me; your throne shall be established forever.” (2 Sam 7:12-16) God has promised David that his son, his seed, would be the new King and his kingdom would never end. This Son would build a house for God to dwell in among his people. We all know that this promise was fulfilled by God sending Jesus into the world, as the son of David, as the promised Messiah. Then God raises him up through the Resurrection and forms a perfect kingdom for all people to be planted in. This becomes the place where God’s people are formed, that they may become his fruitful sons and daughters.

Jesus in our Gospel today tells what is often called the “Parable of the Sower”, but I think a more appropriate name for it would be the “Parable of the Soils”. Because the four different types of soil and what they represent seem to be the focus of the parable. All of us have seen what Jesus is talking about here, there is no mystery to the soils that he is describing to us. Anyone can drive along a country road and see the picture that our Lord is painting. The path would be the road, were the seed falls but never grows, like people who hear the word of God, but they never put it into action in their lives, its simply them and that’s it. Next is that rocky ground we see right beside the road, these are people who hear the word and for a short time they act upon it, but then quickly fall away. They take no time to form the roots that the Christian life requires us to have. Roots like prayer and fasting, those practices that help us to cut out the old wood so that the new wood can grow and blossom forth abundant life. Then we look further from the road and we find the ditch, or the soil among the thorns. This soil is almost in the field but still full if weeds and briers. Here is where so many people are today, they hear God’s word, put it into action, but then are chocked by their worldly cares. Instead of making sacrifices for God and others, everything becomes about them, their wants and desires. This chokes the life of the Spirit that has been given to them and they just waste away. Also, thorns can represent the many bad influences that can be around us, bad friends are a good example, those people whose lifestyle falls short of a Christ centered life.  Ultimately, they are always pulling us away from God, pulling us in the wrong direction. Lastly, we look and see the field, where all the beautiful flowers and plants grow. This is where God wants us to be, in the good soil, producing much fruit for the kingdom of God. When we live here and act as Jesus’ faithful disciples, leading lives full of prayer and communion with God and one another. There is no question that we will become the people that God created us to be. We grow tall and mature in Christ, this causes other people to be attracted to us and they desire to spend time with us, thus we mutually grow together as God’s family. Just like a well planted and kept garden, each plant thrives off the others. Not by using one another for personal gain, but out of love for each other.

One quotation that I found from St. Francis de Sales works well with this parable. He says, “The bee collects honey from flowers in such a way as to do the least damage or destruction to them, and he leaves them whole, undamaged and fresh, just as he found them.” This to me is much like the family of God, the Church, working and praying together. As the bees help the flowers have life and grow by spreading pollen, so we share in our lives in communion with the Holy Spirit, not keeping its power for our own use, but through actions like prayer, sharing it with all those we meet. Just like the love of Jesus, yes, he died for me, but he also died for all. The is no “one” in the faith of Jesus Christ but always the many.

We should never lose sight of who is doing the planting and tending in our lives, is it us or God? What soil are we in? Are we then making the most of the place that God has put us, becoming fruitful a hundredfold? If not, then we must figure out why, pull up those weeds and grow fully for God alone.