July 24, 2013. Prayer Service, Wednesday, July 25, 2013.

Matthew 13:1-9:
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”  

Matthew 13:18-23
“Hear then the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” 

Jesus is the Word of God. Jesus as the Word is the source of all in the Universe and the source of life.
And some of what Jesus sows does not bear fruit but what does bear fruit may multiply 30-fold, 60-fold, 100-fold.

This is the optional memorial of Saint Shazrbel Mkhluf, a monk and priest of the Lebanese Maronite Order in Annayu, Lebanon who spent many hours praying before the Blessed Sacrament. He later lives as a hermit of his order. He celebrated Mass close to noon so as to devote the morning to preparation and the afternoon to thanksgiving.

In 1972, I  had a case in Beirut, Lebanon, a beautiful city by the Mediterranean Sea. You could ski down the mountain to the beach to swim. It was the spy center of the Mediterranean. It is now ravaged by war.