The Place and the Person!

Saturday, September 20, 2025

1 Tim 6:13-16; Lk 8:4-15

Today’s Gospel highlights the inseparable connection between the place and the person. Indeed, who we become depends on where we are.

As we know, Jesus identifies four places in the Parable of the Sower, each defining what the seeds eventually become depending on where they fall. This parable is not just about agriculture. Instead, Jesus employs it to convey some profound spiritual truths. 

Footpath and Spiritual Resistance: A footpath is usually hard and rigid ground due to constant and nonstop traffic. Hence, the seeds that fall on such ground cannot even penetrate the surface. Jesus makes use of it to refer to spiritual resistance by which we gradually grow indifferent to God’s interventions. Hearts that reflect footpath rigidity need to be softened so that the Word of God may enter in us to transform us from within. 

Rocky Ground and Spiritual Shallowness: The rocky ground refers to spiritual shallowness, by which we mean a surface-level faith. The spiritual life that begins as an exciting journey comes to an eventual slowdown, gradually losing the initial inspiration and enthusiasm we experienced. Here, Jesus invites us to realize that spiritual growth needs depth, and achieving such depth cannot be an overnight accomplishment. God’s word taking root in us is a process that becomes realistic only if we willingly cooperate with its transformative thrust. 

Thorny Ground and Spiritual Dryness: Thorny ground indicates spiritual dryness by which the confusions and conflicts in our heart blind us to the abiding presence of God within us. St. Ignatius of Loyola referred to such a condition of spiritual darkness as spiritual desolation. For the founder of the Jesuits, the frustrating experience could even be cyclical, with our hearts often surrounded by fears and doubts. Such desperate times call for patience and endurance, surrendering ourselves to divine guidance. We may be choked, but with God’s grace and assistance, it can be overcome. Clearing the thorns requires rootedness in spiritual life. 

Good Soil and Spiritual Flourishing: The good soil reflects the mind with a spiritual bent. Here, the person is more receptive to God’s word, willingly and actively working with God to transform their lives. It is joining hands with God that is experienced as abundance. This spiritual condition reminds us of the Latin proverb ‘Quidquid recipitur ad modum recipientis recipitur,’ meaning ‘Whatever is received is received according to the manner of the receiver.’ This is why we are convinced that the way we receive God’s word transforms the way we live. 

The parable of the sower works more like a spiritual mirror. It helps us ask not only if we hear God’s word, but also how we receive it, because the manner of our receiving determines the manner of our living. 

Let us pray that we may grow into the worthy recipients of God’s Word, not only to change us but also to change the world. 

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar