Sunday, July 13, 2008 Lagura: And the Sower went out again to sow By Fr. Flor Lagura, SVD in the service of the word
TWO research studies pointed out the disturbingly large number of lapsed or fallen away Catholics. The first of these studies claimed that some 25% of Catholics have either stopped practicing the faith or have gone to other religions or churches. Moreover, of the remaining number who practices the faith, either regularly or sporadically, only 1 out of 4 openly declared themselves to be Catholics. Lastly, the study showed the Catholic Church to have lost the biggest number of members.
The second study conducted by a prominent Catholic university indicated some element of hope, for it claims that many Catholics, whether disillusioned with the state of affairs in the Church wracked by scandals, or in serious disagreement with Her teachings especially as regards social justice and morality, still go to mass either at Easter or for Christmas.
Many parishes bewail the loss of the youth who, after having received the sacraments of initiation, namely baptism, first Holy Communion and confirmation, drift away from the Church. By the grace of God, a good number go back later in life. Several explanations, ranging from financial to moral and theological, have been given as to why people leave the Church.
A good explanation can be found in the parable of the sower. The word of God, sown in our souls, starts as a seed that has to be protected and nurtured. It lives or dies depending on the kind of soil the soul happens to be.
If and when it takes root and grows, the word of God gives comfort and guidance. At the same time, God’s word can inspire and challenge for people to act on it and have their lives enriched and truly changed.
Such a happy picture is not always the case, for some seed fall among rocks, others among thorns, and still others on thin and hard layers of soil. For this reason, there are many who, although blessed with the word of God generously given to them, fall away with the passage of time.
The prospect of losing so much seed sown in unappreciative souls who later turn out to be lapsed or fallen away Catholics can be very frustrating. Some individuals will even start bitterly pointing accusing fingers in different directions. However, we must bear in mind that this is mainly God’s work; we are His laborers.
With infinite patience and supreme enthusiasm the Divine Sower goes out to sow the seed. He does it unceasingly, silently and with an astonishingly abundance of divine hope.
“A sower went out to sow the seed. As he scattered the seed across the ground, some fell beside the path, and the birds came and ate it. Some fell on rocky soil where there was little depth of earth….Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns choked out the tender blades. But some fell on good soil, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty and even a hundred times as much as he had planted. Listen, if you have ears!” Matthew 13: 3a-9.
