God satisfied the hunger of his chosen people in the desert by giving them bread from heaven. It challenges us to see who we depend on, to satisfy our needs. The Psalmist refers to manna as ‘Heavenly Bread’. As Jesus said, the true bread is his body. In today’s Gospel proclamation, the parable of the sower speaks of the importance of listening to God’s Word as it is fruitful and effective. The Word of God is symbolised by the Sower as Jesus Christ himself. Jesus tells us of four types of ground the seeds could fall upon. First is the path where the word is taken away by worldly distractions. Second is stony ground when we hear the Word with enthusiasm and fade away due to disturbances and discomfort. Third is thorny ground where it is choked and does not bear fruit. Fourth is good ground as it takes root and bears much fruit, representing those who hear the Word, embrace it, safe- guard it and practice it. Each one of us is ground on which the seed falls. We can ask ourselves what type of ground our hearts are.

Prayer: Abba Father, prepare my heart to receive the words of your Son and
live it. Amen.