In northern countries this is the beginning of the harvest season. The Gospel reading speaks, though, to all of us, about the much more important harvest of the spirit. It is Jesus' famous parable of the sower. The seed is the word of God planted in the heart of every human being. But, while the seed is the same, a rich harvest also depends upon the quality of the soil in which it is sown. We must receive, nurture, fertilize, and water the plant whose seed is deposited in our hearts in baptism. The same seed brought forth a very different harvest in the life of Mother Teresa and in that of Adoplh Hilter.

That is why, in the first reading, Paul tells Timothy to be vigilant and faithful until Jesus, the Lord of glory appears. Our sanctification is a joint project. Indeed, the far greater part of the work is God's. St Teresa of Avila makes that clear in her famous metaphor of the garden: the Lord chooses the garden (our hearts); He plants the seeds of the virtues; and He weeds the garden. But our part, while secondary, is crucial. Teresa says that we, like good caretakers, must water the garden with prayer and good works.

God never forces Himself on anyone. He made us free, and He values our freedom highly. He will not destroy our humanity. Jesus wants to save every person. What He is trying to make us realize in the parable of the sower is that we must cooperate.