30 Jan
Wed 		3rd Week in Ordinary Time
2 Sam. 7:4-17
Ps. 88:4-5, 27-28, 29-30
Mk. 4:1-20
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The Parable of the Sower and its explanation lets us see how Jesus dealt with His disciples. Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom of God through His parables, but it appears that these parables did not always meet with immediate understanding on the part of the disciples or of the crowd. The disciples on this occasion had the wisdom and humility to seek further explanation. Jesus gently responded to their request for explanation. His explanation, we may be sure, advanced not only their understanding but also their work for the Kingdom of God. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we too can attain to fuller understanding and more fruitfully serve the Kingdom.

Only this parable is accompanied in the Gospels by such a long explanation. Did Jesus explain His other parables to the disciples? We do not know. It is possible that the explanation of the Parable of the Sower provided a model for their own interpretation of the other parables.

Parables are open-ended and any "explanation" must be received and listened to in the context of the reader and the needs of the Church. Yet it is enlightening to have this explanation as a model and guide.


Holy Spirit, guide us in our understanding of the Gospel for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

DAILY OFFERING
Eternal Father, I offer You everything I do this day; my thoughts, words, joys and sufferings. Grant that, vivified by the Holy Spirit and united to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, my life this day may be of service to You and to others. I also pray that all those preparing for marriage discover in Sacrament the source of Christ's grace for living a fithful and fruitful love. Amen.

PRAYING WITH THE CHURCH
INTENTION
That Christians may intensify their efforts to announce together Jesus Christ, the only Saviour of the world.
Elaboration

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P R A Y I N G    W I T H    T H E    C H U R C H    

INTENTION : That Christians may intensify their efforts to announce together Jesus Christ, the only Saviour of the world.

In the Apostolic Letter At the Beginning of the New Millennium Pope John Paul II looks towards the future and exhorts the members of the Church not to be afraid to leave the coastal waters "where there is nothing to fish" and move into deep waters. If we are prepared to do this, our catch will be abundant. The Pope particularly exhorts Christ's disciples to intensify their efforts to bring greater unity in the Christian Community.

The invocation "Launch out into the deep" is a binding imperative, the strength that sustains us, and a salutary rebuke for our slowness and closed-heartedness. It is on Jesus' prayer and not on our own strength that we base the hope that even within history we shall be able to reach full and visible communion with all Christians.

Our trust that we may succeed in attaining the full and visible communion of all Christians, "rests on Jesus' prayer, not on our own capacity". The Lord calls us to unity and will not fail to pour forth His grace on us. But in this context also, as in all our relations with God's salvific grace, we too must do our share. God does not save us against our will; God does not save us if we do not collaborate towards our salvation.



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