THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

Her Doctrine and Morals

Sexagesima Sunday

8 February 2026

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The Sunday

Sermon

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Dear Friends in Christ,

Jesus is the Word of God. God has spread the Word throughout the world in very much the same manner as the Sower sowed His seed in the parable recorded in today's Gospel reading (Saint Luke 8:4-15). The Church has recorded parts of the Word of God in the Scriptures, which are available for everyone to read. These Scriptures, the Word of God, parallel the seeds in the parable. It is a good seed and has the potential to yield a hundredfold. The yield varies depending on the soil it is grown in.

Not everyone who reads or hears the Gospels benefits from them. Some are like the wayside — they hear the Gospel but, as the saying goes, it passes in one ear and out the other. The soil of their souls is open to demons and evil spirits, as the wayside is open to birds who never give the seed/Word a chance to take root but carry it away as soon as it arrives. This type of soil/soul is like the person scrolling through news feeds, reading the headlines, but not truly taking any of it in. The Word of God no sooner touches their souls, and then it is lost and forgotten. It is not the fault of the birds that ate or carried away the seed — it is the fault of the soul that was unprepared for the seed. We must not think that all the blame for spiritual failures lies with demons or evil spirits. No, the fault is in us — in our souls. We need to prepare our souls better to receive the graces of God's Word.

Other souls are like rocks. The seed falls upon the rock and sprouts, but there is no place for the root to go, and so, as the sun rises, the seedling dries up and dies. These souls receive the Word of God, but because they are hardened in sin, temptations soon kill Grace as the sun kills the unrooted seedling. It is not the sun's fault that the seedling dried out and died. It is the soil's fault that it is a rock rather than a prepared, receptive soil. Temptations are like the sun. If we are adequately prepared, temptations help us to grow stronger. If we are unprepared, then they will dry up our souls and will kill God's grace in us.

Different souls are like soil overrun with weeds — thorns. This soil represents souls who are filled with desire for the riches of this earth. The Seed of the Word of God enters their souls, sprouts and grows, but can never grow strong because too much of the light and nutrients are taken up by the weeds/thorns. There is not enough room in the ground for the seed to succeed. It is just like this with God's grace. Too much of our attention and desire is given to other things, so God's grace is not nurtured and developed. Again, it is not the fault of the material things that God has made and given us. The fault is the fact that we choose to love and desire these things more than we love God.

We see these riches and cares interfering when sports and games take up more of our attention and focus than prayer and devotion. When we are so busy with life that we have no time to pray. Family prayers and devotions like the Holy Rosary are only taken up when we have time left over. Yet, the cares of the world never leave us any time for God. The Rosary, spiritual reading, etc., can never grow strong because they are never nourished.

We attend Mass on all Sundays and Holy Days as long as this does not interfere with our sports, games, recreation, and leisure. Whenever there is a conflict of time, it is the seeds of God's grace that are neglected or forgotten. As time goes by, the plants God has given us grow so weak that they can never bear any fruit. We often, then, wonder why God's grace is in us, not doing anything. The fault is not God or His grace — these are just as fecund or capable as ever. The fault is in our choosing the world over God.

It is not sufficient for us to just read or hear the Word of God. It is not enough for us to believe fervently at the beginning. It is not enough to accept the Word along with or after we receive the riches and cares of this world.

We must prepare our hearts, minds, and souls before we can fruitfully receive God's Word and grace. The worldly suggestion that we need to believe and nothing further is required is wrong. Our souls, like garden soil, need to be cleaned, tilled or softened, fertilized, and watered. How do we do this? Briefly, the answer is: we must deny ourselves, take up our daily crosses, and follow Jesus. Faith without works is dead. God's grace and Word within us is barren, dead, or will soon die unless we remove ourselves from the influences of the demons, temptations, and the love of the riches and pleasures of this life.

May the Immaculate Heart of Mary inspire, guide, and protect us!