Daily Gospel Reflection for January 29, 2021

Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.

Reflection by Father Edward Looney

Today's Gospel: Mark 4:26-34

I’ve become a bird watcher over the past few years. I make sure to fill my feeders almost daily during high traffic times. One of the things I noticed during the summer months was the emergence of sunflowers. Why? My birds like to scatter the sunflower seeds to the ground because they’d rather eat the other seeds from the feeder. Unfortunately, the lawn service always mowed over what could have been a beautiful sunflower garden.

I’ve done a lot of driving between my three churches over the past three years along the countryside of Northeast Wisconsin. One of the things I’ve noticed in the soybean fields is the stray stalk of corn. If you’re like me, you might wonder why corn is growing among soybeans. From what I’ve gathered, a bird probably dropped the seed in the field.

Seeds scattered produced fruit. Speaking about the Kingdom of God, Jesus in today’s parable says, “it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow.” Each of us have seeds of the Kingdom sown in our life. They are the seeds of Jesus’ words and teaching; seeds of scriptures; seeds of the Church’s teachings; seeds from homilies we’ve heard; and seeds from the quotes of saints. Allow these seeds to fall onto the soil of your life and heart and allow the Divine Gardener to do His work.

And just as you receive seeds for growing, you too can be a sower. Sow love over hatred; joy where there is sadness; peace where there is discord; unity where there is division. Become fertile ground so God can yield a fruitful harvest.

Ponder:

What fruit has been produced in your life from the seeds planted by your Christian faith?

Pray:

Lord, make my soul fertile to receive the seeds of Your word and teaching. And as Your seeds grow in me, help me to sow seeds in the lives of my family and friends.

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Sown seeds grow where they are planted. God is sowing seeds in your life and it is up to you to let them grow. #dailygospel

Copyright 2021 Father Edward Looney

Father Edward Looney was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Green Bay in June 2015, and is an internationally recognized Marian theologian, writer, speaker, and radio personality. He is the author of the best-selling books, A Heart Like Mary’s, A Rosary Litany, and A Lenten Journey with Mother Mary. He also hosts the podcast How They Love Mary.