Jer 14:17-22 Ps 79:8, 9, 11 and 13 Mt 13:36-43

Weekly Guide for Daily Prayer The Daily Reflections

“’He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the Kingdom.’” -Matthew 13:37-38

After looking at these readings, I really began to examine my own conscience.  I started to ask myself, “Have I been a good seed or a bad seed?  Do I sin and sometimes lead others to sin, or do I live righteously and try to lead others to Christ?”  Frankly, I don’t know how to answer these questions.  There are times when I know I have done the right thing and overcome the temptation to sin, but there are also times when I have completely failed to live up to my calling as an honest Catholic man.  It seems too often that the bad I’ve done stands out so much more than the good.

But after these thoughts ran through my head, I started to wonder, how can we act more like the good seeds we are rather than the bad seeds we often tend to be?  I came to the conclusion that there is a way; or, rather, The Way: Jesus Christ.

So how can we best experience Jesus Christ and involve him in our lives every day?  The best answer I can come up with is that we can do so through the Sacraments, especially Confession and the Eucharist.  Nowhere else is Jesus more present than in the Eucharist. When we go to Reconciliation, the priest that hears our confession is standing in for Jesus, as if we were talking directly to him.  Incredible graces are received from both of these sacraments, and through them we are given the strength we need to be transformed into good seeds.  While we will never be completely perfect, the good seed in us is made to blossom and bear fruit. We only need to do a little faithful pruning first.