Daily Scripture Reflection & Prayer: January 28,2026

Date: Wednesday of the 3^rd Week of Ordinary Time/Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas

Scripture Text:   Mark 4:1-20

On another occasion, Jesus began to teach by the sea. A very large crowd gathered around him  so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down. And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land. And he taught them at length in parables, and in the course of his instruction he said to them, "Hear this! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it and it produced no grain. And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit. It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."He added, "Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear."

And when he was alone, those present along with the Twelve questioned him about the parables. He answered them, "The mystery of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you.But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that they may look and see but not perceive, and hear and listen but not understand, in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven."

Jesus said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables? The sower sows the word. These are the ones on the path where the word is sown. As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once and takes away the word sown in them.And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who, when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy. But they have no roots; they last only for a time. Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word, but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit.But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold."

Breaking the text open – background and summary:

Today’s gospel reading recounts Jesus’ teaching of the parable of the sower and seeds. The LORD is the sower. The seed is the LORD’s WORD. We are the soil. The question we are called to ask ourselves is what type of soil will we be? Will we receive the LORD’s WORD and allow it to penetrate our being and bear fruit? Or will we be inhospitable over time resulting in no fruit?

Meditating on the text with personal questions:

How open am I to the LORD’s WORD, to the LORD’s love entering my life moment to moment? Do I allow it to take root and bear fruit?

Praying:

LORD,  Almighty Father, You gave your only-begotten Son, your very WORD made flesh, to us, to teach us of your great love and desire for our salvation and life in abundance with You. And through His selfless sacrifice, He won redemption for us. Send your Spirit to tend to my faith, to my reception of your loving WORD made flesh among us, so that I might allow that love to bear fruit in my life for your glory and for love of You, the Son, and the Spirit. Grant that the fruits of my life from You, through the Son, and in the Spirit will enrich the lives of others for love of You and love of them. I ask this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Spirit, one LORD, forever and ever. Amen.