The images Jesus used when he taught were very carefully chosen. And so it was with the image of the "seed," which he used in the parable we just heard, the parable of the sower.

If a seed is to grow properly, it needs 3 things: good soil, sufficient nourishment (i.e., water and fertilizer), and adequate sunlight. Which are precisely the 3 realities needed for the "seeds of faith" to grow within a person—the seeds planted at Baptism! That’s why this was such an appropriate and meaningful image for Jesus to use!

For the seeds of faith to grow to their full potential, they first of all need good "soil." In other words, they need a "good environment"—what might be called a "faith-friendly" environment! I was trying to think of a good way to describe this, and what came to me was the following idea: A faith-friendly environment (which begins at home) is one in which Jesus Christ would be happy and feel comfortable. On that note, how "faith friendly" is your home at the present time? Think, for example, of what you and the other members of your family watch on television. Would Jesus enjoy sitting there watching what you all watch? Perhaps the more important question is: Would you enjoy sitting there with Jesus watching what you normally watch?! Would Jesus enjoy watching you as you "surfed the net" in your usual manner? Would he approve of the way you speak to and treat the other members of your family? Would he ever hear his name mentioned in a reverent manner in your home; for example, in a prayer before meals? Would he be happy that your family Bible wasn’t collecting dust on the coffee table? Would he be happy with you on your family vacation because—unlike some Catholic vacationers—you get up to go to Mass on Sunday morning? And finally, this one (primarily for young people): Would Jesus enjoy sitting in your room with you listening to your CDs?

Notice, the seed that fell on the foot path and the seed that fell on rocky ground didn’t grow because in each case the environment was bad. And so it can be with the seeds of our faith.

The second requirement is sufficient nourishment. In the natural order that means water and fertilizer; in the spiritual order good nourishment equals truth! Lies are like the thorns Jesus speaks of in this parable. This is why Jesus commanded his disciples in Matthew 28 to baptize AND to teach the Gospel truth to all people! Now needless to say, truth—objective truth—isn’t very popular these days. Witness what happened a few weeks ago, when Protestant missionaries from Wisconsin carried pictures of aborted babies through our town. Now granted, some of the things they reportedly shouted as they processed by were uncharitable and way out of order—but their intention was certainly good. As one of them wrote in a letter to the Westerly Sun, "We show these photos to inform our nation that it has violated God’s law, and to call its people to repentance." The pictures show the truth that many Americans don’t want to face. And as for the charge that they’re disturbing to children, I say, "They should be. They’re meant to be—and that’s good! Because maybe if these children grow up realizing how bad abortion is, they’ll change the laws of this nation when they become adults." The seeds of their faith—nurtured by the truth they know about abortion—will secure the right to life for the most innocent of all.

Good soil, sufficient nourishment; and finally, adequate sunlight. Sunlight gives warmth, and warmth is love. The seeds of faith need a good environment, and truth; but the truth must be learned and shared in an atmosphere of love. Which was my only objection to those missionaries: Yes, what they shared was the truth about abortion, but (from what I’ve been told), they did it with an attitude of anger and condemnation. Apparently they momentarily forgot the words of St. Paul in Ephesians 4: 15 where he says, "Speak the truth in love." Truth is much more likely to take root when it’s conveyed in a loving manner.