Carpe Diem!
We are saturated with words. Every day we receive an exaggerated amount of messages. The massive and constant access to social communication media is responsible for our receiving more information than we can normally digest. Internet fast expansion has a great deal of responsibility thereof. On the other hand, the quality and importance of the information we receive is really uneven and bumpy.
It is true that there are many worthwhile words among those we hear or read every day. Still, they are difficult to pick up among the accumulation of so many others which are not only flimsy but even noxious.
Jesus did not talk too much. He was not used to making long speeches. His teaching was clear and direct, full of common sense and substance. His words transmitted wisdom and spurred reflection and reaction.
His thoughts are far-off from the many empty and often deceitful slogans of modern publicity.
And, all the same, not everybody used to absorb them in the same way.
Response to Jesus’ preaching was varied, and went from the very enthusiastic to the definite disavowal.
In [B]the parable of the sower [/B](today’s Gospel, Mat. 13:1-23), Jesus depicts the different attitudes of people to his teachings, and drives the attention to the importance of attentive listening and active reaction to the message diffused.
Otherwise, not even the wisest most profound words can “bear a good crop”.A superficial, unconcerned or absentminded listening do not allow spoken words to reach our heart and influence people’s lives.
Most surely, today, we all need a supplement of attention when we have to listen to so many messages. We must know how to discern the most valuable and positive from the totally useless ones, and once we have done it, we have to open our heart to them so that they can bear the desired fruit. Without forgetting that out of all good messages we may select, none will be as beneficial for our spiritual health as Jesus’ Gospel.
We should also remember that no one knows when his time will come, so we should not waste any time pretending that there is plenty of time ahead to listen to Jesus’ words. We prefer to say instead "let us enjoy life today: tomorrow will be another day!"
It was the famous Italian poet, Horace, who said: [B]carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero – [/B]"Seize the Day, putting as little trust as possible in the future"Gromitt82