Transcript
When I was new here in Australia, I attended Mass in a newly built church somewhere in Sydney. Everything about it seemed designed to lift the heart: the architecture was award-winning, the music and choir were inspiring, and the congregation was prayerful. But then came the moment to kneel. My knees met plain, hard wood—no cushion, no padding. And from that moment, my attention shifted. Through the Eucharistic Prayer until mass ended, I kept returning to one thought: these kneelers are so uncomfortable. After Mass, when friends asked what I thought of this church that we were visiting for the first time, all I could talk about was the kneelers. Looking back, God had offered me many graces that day, but at that moment, I wasn’t ready to receive them. My heart was too distracted to receive the seed. The problem is not the seed but the soil. God’s Word is always powerful, but worries, fears, frustrations, and lingering resentments, fatigue, and judgments can act like thorns, preventing that Word from taking root and bearing fruit in our lives. Yet the good news is that soil can be cultivated, and hearts can be tilled. One practical step I might suggest which you can apply throughout the year is to read the readings for the coming Sunday before we come to Mass. In doing so, we allow God’s Word to engage with our lives during the week. We come prepared to receive Him. Also, let us approach the Word of God with humility, and listen willingly. In this way, we allow God to soften our hardened hearts and clear away whatever chokes His word.