I haven't posted anything here for ages, but I have been struck by a few thoughts during lent. They tend to lose their impact unless I write them somewhere as the Lord reminds me the grace is in the now moment. In regard to the the parable of the sower, I had to look at the seeds sown on thorny ground, as I'm sure many are doing during this time. However, in the Western world we have a very static view of things built on a linear time-line. We look at this kind of thing at one point in time. God doesn't see things that way at all. He sees all things at once and invites us to see through His eyes into the spiritual realm where we contend, not against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities in the heavenlies. I would contend that the demons, with their great cosmic intelligences, far surpassing our own (for the present life) look at things in a non-linear way also. "What happens, there at that point in space and  time if I tempt here at his point in space and time",  as they prowl around looking to devour us. This is so beyond our understanding and capability to resist that we can't even begin to contend at the level of the intellect, only at the level of childlike trust in Jesus. What has this got to do with thorns though and darnel? Just this - that we can think of the thorns that choke the life of the Holy Spirit at just the present place in our lives, and yeah that's very important - to continually review that. However, go back in time. When those thorns started to grow you probably didn't even notice them. The ground seemed fertile and spiritual consolations from God were many. They seemed harmless and not a great threat except that you and I forgot that they would grow to the point of choking out the Holy Spirit and leaving the empty tomb of the form of religion only. It can be hard to grapple with, but there are no planes in the spiritual life. Things either lead toward or away from God. For those of very weak faith God is put on a shelf and taken down only in times of crisis. For those who have chosen to follow the way to God it becomes more subtle. We don't so much put God on a shelf but can become careless about what we choose during the delights of spiritual consolation when even tiny noxious seeds can feel good.  God consoles us but then the enemy offers counterfeit false consolations that can be mistaken for the former and just "fit in" in the absence of a discerning heart. You see the enemy secretly sows the darnel among the wheat, very small at first and it grows to choke the Spirit. Satan works by a process of erosion until weeks months or years down the road you get a wake up call and wonder - "how did I get here".

St Paul only mentions sin(s) in the plural once or twice in his letters, but most often refers to Sin in the singular highlighting this agency of corruption and evil that we contend against. That is to say he looks at the root of all sin that prevents us from being divinized rather that a list list of things that are pulled out and grow back again.

It's why supernatural discernment is needed and we should beg God be become so sensitized to the Spirit that we "feel" the restlessness when something is just slightly off kilter. That requires a lot of silence in life and fasting also to discern in favor of spiritual things. This lent wont pass by again. We need to use it to grow in the strength of the Lord as this persecution on the Church intensifies so that we can stand in the evil day.  I wonder how many people in Ukraine, or under Islamic persecution, thought they had a strong faith until all Hell broke lose and they found a house built on sand. I pray I am building my own house on a rock and that you are too. Lord save my soul. Save our souls