The Catholic Defender: Planting the Good Soil, Perfect for Lent

“When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town after another journeying to him (Jesus), he spoke in a parable. A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled, and the birds of the sky ate it up” (Luke 8:4-5).

This is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ as the sower of the seed. It is the Lord who is planting the seed so that all mankind might be saved.

Unfortunately for this group, the seed of faith does not grow.

They are carried away by every kind of strange teaching and are taken away to another master.

These are people who had heard the word of God but because of the many lures of the world, they easily fall into sin. “Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew, it withered for lack of moisture” (Luke 8:6).

This group heard the word of God but does not have a foundation. They simply wither and die because their faith was not planted on fertile ground.

Psalms 1:1-3 says, “Happy those who do not follow the counsel of the wicked, Nor go the way of sinners, nor sit in company with scoffers. Rather, the law of the Lord is their joy; God’s law they study day and night. They are like a tree planted near streams of water, that yields its fruit in season; Its leaves never wither; whatever they do prospers”.

This is key and why people wither because of lack of moisture. Hosea 4:6 tells us that God warns that his people perish because of the lack of knowledge.

They do not understand their faith. This is the mission of Deepertruth, to know our faith and to spread our faith. “Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew and choked it” (Luke 8:7). Some who embraced the Lord and his Church fall away because of persecution, some become bitter and cannot forgive others because of terrible atrocities.

This group allows their faith to be chocked off through bitterness. Finally, Jesus gives us this group; “And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew, it produced fruit a hundredfold” (Luke 8:8).

This is the faithful Catholic who strives to live a holy life. To study and know the word of God. Jesus explains the meaning of the parable.

“The seed is the word of God. Those on the path are the ones who have heard, but the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts that they may not believe and be saved. Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy, but they have no root; they believe only for a time and fall away in time of trial. As for the seed that fell among thorns, they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along, they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life, and they fail to produce mature fruit. But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.” (Luke 8:11-15). Jesus stresses this idea of perseverance saying, “But the one who perseveres to the very end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13).

This totally destroys the false doctrine of “Once Saved, Always Saved” which is a man made doctrine developed by men who fell away from the Catholic Faith.

To this chart, when parents are both practicing and living their Catholic faith, planted on the good soil, their children embrace the faith more than 90%.

However, when dad is out of the picture and it's all on Mom, the percentage goes down between the 30's and the teens. That shows the importance of both Mom and Dad!

There are many denominations that have arisen as a result of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century.

By 1900, there were nearly 1900 Protestant denominations, today there are over 42,000 denominations world wide.

There are about 170 new ones founded every year. Many of them range far and wide from each other. Many of them are more of a Non-denomination flavor that might be a small group comprised of family members.

Some of them are large groups that have large auditoriums with a large stage with lights and band. A lot of these groups do boast of having a large number of fallen away Catholics.

Former Catholics as a group are the second largest group in the United States. Anti-Catholics parade around these former Catholics like a trophy.

Little do they know that this offends our Lord very much.

Jesus wants to receive all these people to himself, but they turn away from him by leaving the Catholic Church.

St. James states, “My brothers, if anyone among you should stray from the truth and someone bring him back, he should know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins” (James 5:19-20).

Jesus would leave the 99 to go find the one who has gone astray. We are called to out and gather them and bring them home to the table of plenty.

All Faithful Catholics should be homeward bound!

“Know this, my brethren. Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, for the anger of man does not work the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rank growth of wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who observes his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself and goes away and at once forgets what he looks like. But he who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer that forgets but a doer that acts, he shall be blessed in his doing” (James 1:19-25).

The Word of God has been implanted into the world through the Catholic Church, because the life source comes from the flow of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26). Jesus is the source of all the sacred traditions and scriptures that have been handed down for 2,000 years. It is through this word that we are called to act in service of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

It is interesting to note that scriptures are a source to save souls, but not in the simple hearing of the Word, but the acting out the message of the Word.

We are to be meek and humble about this task because we do not deserve this grace, but we are entrusted to live it.

Through Gods gifts of grace, we are called to go to the nations and baptize them and teach them the gospel.

The power of the message is found in our faithfulness to His Word. People should see His reflection in us by the way we show love to our fellow man.

To those who believe that all you need be is hears of the word only (Sola Scriptura), Jesus instructs us to give food and drink to the thirsty and the hungry.

The Catholic Church by far gives the most food for the poor in impoverished nations than any other entity in the world. I gave money to Catholic Relief Services (CRS) many years as I served in the Army.

CRS would be among the first to respond to natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, war torn lands.

This is a most important work as food shelters, warehouses are set up to help the poor all over the world.

Jesus said, “I was a stranger and you welcomed me”, the Catholic Church founded the system that helps the pilgrims, building hospitals, orphanages, schools, colleges, supporting and organizing to help societies reaching the poor.

Travelers were originally supported my monks who developed monasteries that helped those who needed rest on their journey’s.

This helped develop roads which worked to make traveling easier so the Church was instrumental in helping develop business helping the common man, the traveler, the stranger.

Technology and science have been used to strengthen faith and work together for the common need of man to learn more about himself, whom God has made in His likeness and glory.

Jesus said, “I was naked and you clothed me”, we have been clothed in His righteousness, grounded on the truth of the gospel. The Catholic Church defends modesty in society, a moral guide for those who are seeking for the ship that will not sink, like the Ark of Noah.

The Catholic Church is the moral compass leading those who want to cross over to safety in the Lord. Jesus was stripped of His garments at the cross so that we might be clothed with His glory.

The Catholic Church stands for the dignity of every human being believing that every human being is precious in the eyes of God.

The Church seeks to liberate women from the bondage of pornography, from being made into objects of worship and idols.

Jesus said, “I was sick and you visited me”, as I mentioned before, the Catholic Church established the Hospital system that is the model everyone have adopted to work in helping the sick.

Through God’s divine providence and His love for mankind, he gave us men who discovered technologies to heal those of sickness.

Disease has always been a threat, but many cures have been discovered that has helped many who were sick to be healed. Polio and Tuberculosis were deadly diseases that have been almost totally defeated through vaccination and medication.

God has given us many good things to help the sick, He is the Master Healer. As Catholics we know that he heals through the power of His hand and through those whom he placed in our path with the means of healing. Millions have been helped through the Catholic Church for centuries.

Jesus said, “I was in prison and you came to me”, the Catholic church through the testimony of great people such as Russell Ford and Harold Morris, are working to serve those in prisons who are largely forgotten.

The Church has always offered the Sacraments to those who many have had long roads paved with injustice, bitterness, hatreds, and violence.

More needs to be done in reaching out to those who are spiritually crying out for help. Mother Mary at Fatima asked us to do sacrifice and pray for those forgotten who are on their way to perdition.

The Lord loves them and seeks to use us to help save them. Walls can been torn down through the love of God, hearts can be changed even in the most terrible places.

We must be doers of the Word and not hearers only. If we are faithful to the Word of God, we will receive that blessing that results from our doing.

We will be raised on that last day for receiving the Bread of life, we will receive that forgiveness through His Ambassadors of grace, we will receive the seal of the Holy Spirit through the laying of hands that anoints us with the oil of salvation, the oil of gladness, we will receive that anointing of the sick that will forgive our sins and heal our souls, we will benefit from the Holy Orders of the Ministers of Grace that brings us God’s grace through the Sacraments.

The Lord will bless marriage as he did at the wedding of Cana giving us grace to help each other on this great journey of Faith. To be planted on the good soil, be doers of the Word.

O my God, I firmly believe that you are one God in three divine persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I believe that your divine Son became man and died for our sins, and that he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe these and all the truths which the holy catholic Church teaches, because in revealing them you can neither deceive nor be deceived.