By Fr. Glenn Jones:

Sometimes it’s amazing the variety of personalities we see in people. We tend to think of ourselves as “normal”—kind of the center of the bell curve distribution—and everyone else sort of skewing from that—either for bad or good. We all could use some improving, no doubt—those who think not of themselves perhaps most of all.

We shouldn’t judge harshly, of course; we never know what one’s developmental stages and influences were like. Some children are taught at an early age that it’s a dog-eat-dog world, and you have to get what you can get all the time. And then there are those who are raised in families stressing goodness and morality and kindness. But whatever the influences, there’s an innate image of God within all of us, imbued by Him at our creation, and the basic discernment between good and evil—the “natural law” as it is often called. Thus, we may have influences, but we are never thereby absolved from responsibility.

We have a kind of this range of humanity in Jesus’ parable of the sower (Matthew 13). He describes seed falling uselessly upon a hard path, some falling in shallow soil which quickly springs up and withers, some which is choked by weeds, and finally that which sprouts, grows and bears fruit in abundance. These are analogical, of course, for various types of persons.

You have those who care little about true honor and morality, use people for their own greed and lust and plot how to use others for their own ends. They do whatever moves them, whether their actions be evil or not.

Then you have those who listen to God and conscience and see it as good, but are too weak within themselves to hold to it, worrying about whether they’ll be popular or accepted by those they hang out with. These remind us of the moral adage which is pertinent in all of our lives: “He is strongest who conquers himself.”

Then those who, although they have been taught and know that which is right and good, are lured away by wealth, pleasure and prestige. They’re always longing to accumulate more, in ways moral or not. Charity may rarely be found in them because they cannot have enough.

And, finally, the fourth—those who listen to God’s word and conscience and humbly put it into action, loving God above all and his neighbor as himself, doing what he can to help others.

When we have funerals, it is these latter ones who are mourned and wept over most of all. The deceased may have never been rich or famous, but because of the love and generosity shown to others, he/she was loved and respected by the whole community … revered by spouse … adored by his children and grandchildren. At that funeral the church overflows … rivers of tears … and his children go forth in love of God and neighbor to carry on the legacy and teaching of their parent or mentor.

Those of the first three examples? Not so much.

When you hear of these different types, do you find yourself comparing them to people you have known? More importantly, which do YOU most resemble? I know I look at myself and wonder which I have been, and which I am becoming.

Sadly, many people have we known who fit the categories of the first three—selfish, arrogant, greedy, lustful … loving few but themselves and their own pleasure—caring little about who they hurt or the harm they cause. This reminds us of scripture: “The mind of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly.”  (Proverbs 15)

It’s ironic that we all admire basically the same things—kindliness, courage, determination to do what is right, seeking what is just but mitigating justice with mercy, good judgment in seeking pleasures. Yet how few of us in real life try to perfect (or sometimes even practice) these virtues we know to be right and good. In fact—despite other shortcomings—even the themes of many of our favorite movies showcase virtues: devotion to God, fidelity in love, generosity, courage under persecution or in danger … unyielding determination for the good even if it seems to lead to the hero’s apparent demise.

The psalm in today’s Catholic Mass was: “The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest” (Psalm 65). Our hearts and our spirits are, of course, the ground upon which the seed falls. But unlike earthly soil which has no choice, we choose to be any type of soil we wish for the seed of the Word of God. Just as the Spirit comes with physical water in baptism, He comes with spiritual help of grace all throughout our lives in every good act and charity that we do.

We have free will. I can choose to do good, or not. We choose what soil we wish to be. If we are like the path, we are hard and unyielding to grace and the Word. If we are rocky soil, we accept the Word and the grace, but fall away with any pressure or trial. If we are filled with weeds of the cares of the world—all of which matter nothing in light of eternity—we become forgetful of God and seek only ourselves.

But … if we choose to be fertile soil … soaking in the rain of grace from the Holy Spirit, sent by the Father … nurturing the seed of the Word planted by the Son, we become like that fourth type—loved by Man and God, and in the end to behold God face to face in happiness for all eternity.

The choice is ours. As it says in scripture—Before a man are life and death. He is given whichever he chooses” (Sirach 15:17). Let us choose, then, to be good soil for the Word of God, knowing as it says in Proverbs: “The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but he loves him who pursues righteousness.” (Proverbs 11:20) And in choosing this way—the way that Jesus has shown us—we choose not merely good conscience, but eternal life.