Pope Francis in his July 12, 2020, Angelus address reflected on the gospel of the day, the well-known parable of the sower. In fact, he suggested it could be the “mother” of all parables.
Speaking to the “socially distanced” crowd in St. Peter’s Square, the Holy Father recalled the different types of soil that the seeds fell upon and how they describe how people hear and receive the Word of God. Are we rocky soil, thin soil, thorny soil, or good soil?
“Often one is distracted by too many interests, by too many enticements, and it is difficult to distinguish, among the many voices and many words, that of the Lord, the only one that makes us free,” Pope Francis warned. “This is why it is important to accustom oneself to listening to the Word of God, to reading it. And I return once more to that advice: always keep with you a handy copy of the Gospel, a pocket edition of the Gospel, in your pocket, in your purse… and so, every day, read a short passage, so that you become used to reading the Word of God, understanding well the seed that God offers you, and thinking about the earth that receives it.”