There are three groups of people in the world and in the Church that match those in the Parable of the Sower: 1. These who hear and see; but do not understand. 2. Those who understand and see and hear; much fruit bears from it. 3. Those who let the riches and desires of the world control them and choke the Word of God from them and they become unfaithful.
1. Those who hear and see; but do not understand.
As Fr. Corapi told his professor at the University of Navarre: "I am going to teach kindergarden." Yes, Catholics are in grade school or in pre-school in the knowing of their faith. Or, one topic or subject is a bit hard and takes longer to understand.
For the most part it is the former than the latter. I think Pope Paul VI was given light on this problem from the Holy Spirit: "The smoke of the devil has entered Your Church. He has entered into Your people; replacing trust in You with doubt and worry."
From doubt and worry has also added ignorance and sloth in learning the faith. They hear something about the faith at Mass on Sunday; but after that; they must take the proper time to study and let it sink in so they can understand it.
So many towns remind me of Ars France, before the Cure of Ars arrived; always working on Sundays and Holy Days or not doing the proper things on those days. Occult being practiced and becoming gluttons on drinking acohol. Going and disrespecting women; using them as objects, women going to use men as objects; which is true today than when I was in grade school; where men were pressuring girls to have sex; now the tables have turned 34%; teenage to college age girls pressuring guys to have sex.
This is border line 1 and 3 in this parable; where both come together. Because I am thinking on all that I was told back when I was in college; and the other stories I have heard. Number 3 is where people let the riches and desires of the world take control; but also number one is about the same today; because we are slothful and lazy; where we have time to sin but no time for God.
Most people and they are very few; they do not have the resources to research their faith and can't afford a good Catholic book to read and they make do with what they have. Every family big or small, rich or poor; should have the big green Catechism of the Catholic Church and the yellow Catholic Catechism by Fr. John Hardon and a good translation bible. Now, even with the Catechism; there are some big words and hard to understand them; but like most text books; there is a glossary in the back with a wonderful index; everything you need to learn the faith.
3. Those who let riches and desires of the world control them and squeeze the life out of the Word of God.
These are the people who have the books; one word throws them off and they don't understand it. They go into this worldly mindedness, saying, "I don't need all of that; I'm happy right where I am." But, what are they doing? Drinking without care, having sex with different people on different nights, having sex with the same person while living with him or her or him, and another her. Shopping for ungodly things, friendships with people that will send you to hell; because that is their main purpose. Doing drugs, practicing the Occult; opening doors into things you have no control over and you wreck your life. They party all night, drive drunk, do stupid things for a cheap laugh that could cause someone their life.
2. Those who hear and see; also understand it and sprouts up roots to hold it in place and fruits begin to form.
These people are saints. Only the saints understand the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. But, it is possible to get from 1 and 3 to number 2. All it takes is prayer, Confession, fixing your life, staying true to the faith and making sure your friends are truly your friends. A good friend is one who wants you to get to heaven and will help you get there; a bad one; will only want to see your ruin and the worst place in hell. Don Bosco said that.
To be a saint, one must totally trust in Jesus and make the Word of God a living Word in their life. Living all the virtues; where ever a vice comes in; they fix is needed to be fixed and place in that spot a virtue. If it means they give up all earthly wealth and possession to make greater possessions and wealth in Heaven; then they must.
But to love someone more than Jesus Christ and trust them more than Him; they are not worthy to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. If they do not give up all and pick up their cross daily and follow Him; they too are not worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven.
To trust in Jesus does require a great leap of faith and sacrifice; because the world has taught so many un-truths and got us fearful and worried about everything; it has become so hard to truly trust in Jesus. Sure we can ask in many ways "why are you worried about x, y and z? Oh, because we have a fallen nature from our first parents' original sin; so we worry a lot. It is hard not to worry but we are not worry; it takes time and patience; there is not a over night solution; takes years of prayers and adorations to help build that trust into your life.
When so many people are on the go and never stop and be silent for one second or always rushing off as if there is something important on earth that does not require God. Which is wrong; only place to go is to the church for some alone time with Jesus; yes I said ALONE; because to hear Him; you need silence.
Read Scripture, Read the Catechism, watch EWTN and listen to the Papal Audience and Masses; homilies; learn from Peter himself. Read his books, read the books by the saints in adoration or let Jesus Himself teach you. Let Him teach you and you will begin to have that trust in your life that is missing ever since the fall of Man. The saints had great trust in God's Divine Providence and we should too. Once we start to understand things from Him; we are on the way to number two of the parable; those who hear and see; let it grow and roots begin to form and great fruit in great number begin to grow.
May God bless you
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