14
Gulf Pine Catholic
•
February 27, 2015
P
arables
E
nglish
From page 9
The best way to seek understanding of Jesus’ para-
bles is to examine our hearts. What kind of soil are we
providing the many seeds God daily sows upon it? If
we listen to the parables carefully, pondering what they
might be saying to us personally, they just might pro-
duce a harvest of 30, 60 or even a hundred fold.
Study Questions
#
What are the special features of a parable?
#
If you have a favorite Gospel parable, which is it
and what makes it your favorite?
#
How do you understand the parable of
“the Sower
and the Seed”
(see Matthew 13:1-23; Mark 4:1-20;
Luke 8:4-15)?
#
What can a person do to prepare fertile soil in
their hearts for the sower’s seed?
This article was originally published in Arkansas
Catholic Jan. 24, 2015. Copyright Diocese of Little
Rock. All rights reserved. This article may be copied or
redistributed with acknowledgement and permission of
the publisher.
P
arábolas
I
nglés
A partir de la página 9
en parabolas, y su respuesta parece ser que ¡para que las
multitudes no lo entiendan! Pero al examinar la respu-
esta de Jesús más profundamente, podemos ver que lo
que Jesús dice es que, al usar parábolas, quienes no las
toman en serio pueden tener una excusa diciendo que
no las entienden. Son como los lugares estériles en que
a veces se arroja la semilla.
La propia parábola, sin embargo, desmiente cual-
quier idea de que Jesús no quisiera que se comprendiera
su enseñanza. Si tomamos a Jesús como el sembrador
de la parábola y día, su enseñanza como las semillas
que siembra, entonces, a diferencia de los campesinos
de su tiempo, Jesús ofrece su enseñanza gratuitamente
a todos, tanto si tienen la intención de tomarla en serio
o no. Pero, si lo hacen, ¡los resultados serán nada
menos que milagrosos!
La mejor manera de tratar de entender las parábolas
de Jesús es examinar nuestros corazones. ¿Qué tipo de
tierra estamos ofreciendo a las muchas semillas que
Dios siembra en ella? Si escuchamos las parabolas cui-
dadosamente, considerando lo que podrían estar dicié-
ndonos personalmente, podrían bien producir una
cosecha de treinta, sesenta o incluso cien por uno.
Preguntas para la reflexión y discusión
#
¿Cuáles son los rasgos principals de una parabo-
la?
#
Si tienes una parábola favorita, ¿cuál es y por qué
es tu favorita?
#
¿Cómo entiendes la parábola del Sembrador y la
Semilla (ver Mateo 13,1-23; Marcos 4,1-20; Lucas 8,4-
15)?
#
¿Qué puede hacer una persona para preparar un
terreno fértil en su corazón para la semilla del sembra-
dor?
Este artículo fue originalmente publicado en el Arkan-
sas Catholic el 24 de enero de 2015. Derechos de autor
Diócesis de Little Rock. Todos los derechos son reserva-
dos. Este artículo podrá ser copiado o redistribuido con
reconocimiento y permiso del editor.
F
ather
B
arron
From page 6
Sadly, for many younger Catholics today, Merton, if
he is known at all, is viewed with a certain suspicion,
and this for two reasons. First, when he was a man of
fifty-one, he fell in love with a young nurse who cared
for him after back surgery. Though it is almost certain
that this was exclusively an affair of the heart, it was
certainly, to say the very least, unseemly for a middle-
aged monk and priest to have been so infatuated with
a much younger woman. At the same time, Merton
worked through this confusing period and returned to
his vowed monastic life. And the journal that he kept
during that year is so spiritually alert and illuminating
that I often recommend it to brother priests who are
wrestling with the promise of celibacy. To dismiss Mer-
ton out of hand because of this admittedly inappropriate
relationship strikes me as disproportionate.
The second reason that some younger Catholics are
wary of Merton is his interest, in the last roughly ten
years of his life, in Eastern religions, especially Bud-
dhism. They see this as an indication of a religious rela-
tivism or a vague syncretism. Nothing could be further
from the truth. Merton was indeed fascinated by the
Eastern religions and felt that Christians could benefit
from a greater understanding of their theory and prac-
tice, but he never for a moment felt that all the religions
were the same or that Christians should move to some
space “beyond” Christianity. In order to verify this, all
one has to do is read the prefaces to his major books on
Zen and Buddhism. About ten years ago, I had the privi-
lege of giving a retreat to the monks at Merton’s mon-
astery of Gethsemani in Kentucky. Just after the retreat
ended, Merton’s secretary, Br. Patrick Hart, took me in
a jeep out to see the hermitage that Merton occupied the
last few years of his life. While we were sitting on the
front porch of the small house, he looked at me intently
and said, “Could you tell anyone that’s interested that
Thomas Merton died a monk of Gethsemani Abbey and
a priest of the Catholic Church?” He was as bothered as
I am by the silly suggestion that Merton, at the end of
his life, was on the verge of leaving the priesthood or
abandoning the Catholic faith.
Thomas Merton was not perfect, and he might not
have been a saint. But he was indeed a master of the
spiritual life, and his life and work had a profound ef-
fect on me and an army of others around the world. I
offer this birthday tribute as a small token of gratitude.
Father Robert Barron is the founder of the glob-
al ministry, Word on Fire, and the Francis Cardinal
George Professor of Faith and Culture at University of
St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein. He is the creator of
a new ten episode documentary series called “Catholi-
cism” airing on PBS stations and EWTN. Learn more
about the series at
T
rafficking
-M
ass
From page 3
Quiambao said the international day of prayer is
“essential because it helps survivors heal, and because
they are encouraged by knowing other people care --
that they are not alone.” She said it also affirms the need
to speak out against the crime.
Along with Gabriela DC, a number of representa-
tives from coalitions and organizations attended the
Mass, including the Mid-Atlantic Coalition Against
Modern Slavery. Composed primarily of women reli-
gious, it focuses on advocacy and education while pro-
viding some direct service to victims.
Coalition member Sister Carol Ries, of the Sisters
of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, said human traf-
ficking is an issue that should be close to all Catholics’
heart. It’s a “pro-life issue,” she said. “It’s about respect
for women and children; it’s about human rights.”
In partnership with the USCCB, Catholic Charities
USA and Catholic Charities of the Washington Archdi-
ocese, the National Catholic School of Social Service at
The Catholic University of America in Washington will
host a two-day conference on human trafficking this
July. Will Rainford, dean of the school, said the confer-
ence will raise awareness among priests, diocesan lead-
ers and lay staff who come into contact with victims.
Chester hopes this year’s day of prayer motivates
“Catholics in the pews” to discern their own ability to
fight human trafficking, whether through volunteering,
material donations, awareness-raising or working to
change and enforce laws. “There are a lot of opportuni-
ties,” she said, “where people can start making a differ-
ence.”
Scott is a reporter for the Arlington Catholic Her-
ald, newspaper of the Arlington Diocese.
