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(Is.55:10-11;\xa0\xa0 Ps.65:10-14,Lk.8:8;\xa0\xa0 Rom.8:18-23;\xa0\xa0 Mt.13:1-23) \xa0 \u201cThe seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit.\u201d \xa0 Comes the Word of God.\xa0 To our eyes, to our ears.\xa0 A seed sown within our hearts.\xa0 May it find rich soil in which to grow, that we might know \u201cthe redemption of our bodies.\u201d \u201cThe rain and the snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth\u2026 so shall [God\u2019s] word be that goes forth from [His] mouth.\u201d\xa0 For indeed it makes the earth \u201cfertile and fruitful, giving seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats\u201d: it nourishes the expectant soul and provides seed for its increased growth.\xa0 All is given life by the Word of God. What Isaiah prophesies, David sings \u2013 \u201cYou prepared the land: drenching its furrows, breaking up its clods, softening it with showers, blessing its yield.\u201d\xa0 And by this grace which falls from heaven, consuming the manna which is its fruit, His children know the \u201cbounty\u201d of the Lord; for His \u201cpaths overflow with a rich harvest.\u201d\xa0 Hardly can we contain the blessings of \u201cthe valleys blanketed with grain.\u201d Jesus has come.\xa0 The Lord has \u201cvisited the land and watered it.\u201d\xa0 The grace of God is in our midst in heavenly flesh and blood.\xa0 And we are left dumb; for the Word of God indeed silences our tongue.\xa0 What can we say as we see His fields coming to life?\xa0 How can we speak of the beauty of a land bathed in light?\xa0 Deeply into our souls His words do fall, and we awaken, we arise as His children of light, beginning now to understand the blessing at our fingertips, the redemption we do find in the Body and Blood of Christ.\xa0 And though we \u201cgroan within ourselves,\u201d we know these are the \u201clabor pains\u201d of growth.\xa0 For in this cleansing rain purging our hearts we come to be \u201cset free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God.\u201d What a wonderful word we have from our Lord: \u201cBlessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear.\u201d\xa0 What a promise He makes to those who gaze upon that which the prophets longed to possess: \u201cTo anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich.\u201d\xa0 And so, what confidence we who are granted \u201cknowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven\u201d should have in His grace-filled Spirit; and what fruit we should thus bear, even to life everlasting. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Listen through the Music" from Thoroughfare, seventh album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, let your rain fall upon us that we might bear fruit in your Name; let us hear your Word and answer your call.\xa0 YHWH, make us fertile and fruitful.\xa0 Open our hearts to receive your Word; let it sink deep within us and grow by your grace.\xa0 Your grace is as the rain which waters hearts set on your will.\xa0 May we indeed receive your abundant gifts, O LORD, and yield a rich harvest in your Name. So blind are our eyes, dear LORD, so dull our hearts.\xa0 We are deaf to your Word as we set our sights on the things of this world.\xa0 The devil easily enters in and steals from us that which we neither have nor desire.\xa0 But you come to us in your compassion to teach us, to open our ears to your Word that we might be as the untilled meadows, the fields no human hand has touched, which produce fruit in abundance by your grace. The first fruits of the Spirit we now have as a gift from you, LORD.\xa0 Yet we await the fullness of your blessings; yet we groan in pain as still we need to grow in you.\xa0 Set us free from all slavery to corruption that we might share in the glorious freedom of your children of light.\xa0 May our fruit be worthy of your kingdom.