Pope at Angelus: Be generous and confident sowers of the Gospel

By Thaddeus Jones

In his reflections before leading the recitation of the noonday Angelus prayer on Sunday, Pope Francis explained how in today's Gospel Jesus describes the Kingdom of God through the image of the seed that is planted, sprouts and grows to maturity. The Lord invites us to have "confident expectation," the Pope said, as the whole process takes time and requires our trust and collaboration.

Miracle at work

Even with quality and abundant seeds and well-prepared soil, a farmer needs patience and trust, the Pope observed, as the plants do not sprout immediately. Eventually the seeds open and the shoots sprout through the soil and grow to bring an abundant harvest, revealing the underground miracle in progress, the Pope explained. The great development of the plant taking place invisibly over time is finally visible, he added, a process requiring not only confident patience, but also tending the land, watering it, and keeping it clear for the time the plants sprout.

Seeds of God's Word and Grace

As we read in the Gospel, the Kingdom of God is like this also, the Pope went on to say, "The Lord places in us the seeds of His word and His grace, good and abundant seeds, and then, without ever ceasing to accompany us, He waits patiently." The Lord cares for us always during the process of our own growth with the confidence of a Father, the Pope said, but the Lord gives us time so that these seeds may open, grow and develop to when they "bear the fruits of good works." The Pope said the Lord wishes that nothing be lost and "everything should reach full maturity" like the ears of grain described in the Gospel.

Sowing the Gospel

The Lord also teaches us to "sow the Gospel confidently wherever we are" the Pope said, and then to wait patiently as the seed grows and bears fruit in us and others. Confident patience is the key, he stressed, as we should not become discouraged when we do not seem to see immediate results. The "miracle" is often at work, beyond appearances, and in due course will bear abundant fruit, he assured.

The Pope then suggested we look at how much we "sow the Word of God" confidently in our own lives and whether we are patient when we do not see immediate results, with the knowledge that we must calmly entrust all our efforts to the Lord.