who wants to be a millionaire?
"Mark well, then, the parable of the sower. The seed along the path is the man who hears the message about God's reign without understanding it. The evil one approaches him to steal away what was sown in his mind." —Matthew 13:18-19
The fact that you're reading this book means you are probably not the footpath. You have received the seed of God's Word. If you have read this book and especially the daily Scripture readings regularly for an extended time, you are probably not the rocky ground (see Mt 13:20). You are in the minority of people in our society who have the potential to bear fruit.
Therefore, if you bear thorns rather than fruit (see Mt 13:22), it will be a great loss to the world. If you don't bear fruit, who will? "When much has been given a man, much will be required of him" (Lk 12:48). In a world of footpaths and rocky ground, the Church desperately needs you to bear fruit to the maximum.
Therefore, you must be very careful to watch and pray so that "worldly anxiety and the lure of money" do not choke off your rare, precious, and greatly needed fruit (Mt 13:22). Even if you are not rich, be careful not to desire to be rich, for "those who want to be rich are falling into temptation and a trap. They are letting themselves be captured by foolish and harmful desires which drag men down to ruin and destruction. The love of money is the root of all evil. Some men in their passion for it have strayed from the faith, and have come to grief amid great pain" (1 Tm 6:9-10). Don't give up your lifesaving potential to bear fruit for a comfortable, pleasurable, barren lifestyle, for Jesus commands us to live in Him and to bear fruit abundantly (Jn 15:5).
Prayer: Father, make me fruitful even in the midst of a barren desert.
Promise: "Honor your father and mother, that you may have a long life in the land which the Lord, your God, is giving you." —Ex 20:12
Praise: St. Sharbel lived as a hermit for the last forty-five years of his life. His holiness was such that many sought his guidance in the spiritual life.
Rescript: †Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, December 18, 2014
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