Introduction: Perseverance is a necessary virtue of any disciple of Christ. Resolutions easily made are often maintained only with tenacity and renewed decision. Christ compares our hearts to different types of soil in which he sows the seed of his word, hoping it will bear abundant fruit through perseverance. 

Gospel Passage: Luke 8: 4-15  

And when a great crowd came together and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable: "A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell along the path, and was trodden underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew, and yielded a hundredfold." As he said this, he called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, he said, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but for others they are in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, that they may not believe and be saved. And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy; but these have no root, they believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. And as for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience. 

1. The challenges to my perseverance: the devil, myself, worldly allurements 

First challenge: The devil. 

"A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell along the path, and was trodden under foot, and the birds of the air devoured it? The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, that they may not believe and be saved." In our spiritual life, it is not only a matter of God's grace and my response. There is an enemy who spends all his time and energies scheming and machinating to weaken my resolutions, create doubt, spread confusion, ensure that the seed does not penetrate, and eventually snatch it out of my soul. God's grace generates peace, serenity, even amid hard sacrifices and self-denial. The devil produces insecurity, and great confusion, even amid life's simplest things. To overcome this danger I must not expose the seed to dangers. If I don't protect and guard it, and soften my heart, change my ways, allow it to penetrate, I can't hope that it will bear fruit. 

Second challenge: selfishness. 

"And some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture? The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy; but these have no root, they believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away." Another danger is in the ground itself: too many rocks and no roots- there is only a shallow and superficial acceptance of God's word in my life. Difficulty, intended by God to break the hard ground and allow his seed to become firmly rooted, becomes an occasion for second guessing, losing heart, and eventually nullifying God's word in favor of holding on to the way I am. When push comes to shove, I prefer not to break the rock, and let the tender shoot wither. 

Third challenge: allurements of the world. 

"And some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew with it and choked it? And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature." Once the seed is growing it is not free of danger. Other plants are or can grow in the same soil, cluttering it and stifling out the more important seed. As I strive to serve God and do his will, other things can fill my time, take over my heart, occupy my mind. Little by little I can let my guard down, are there is no room for God's seed to grow. I leave no time for prayer, no time to help others out, no time to learn about my faith. Everything from MTV to sports or my favorite hobby crowds it out. An eagle's flight can be impeded by a large, heavy rope around its leg, but also by a thin nylon line. My heart's flight to God can be impeded by big, heavy, obvious attachments, by also by small, almost imperceptible ones. All attachments must be undone. 

Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus Christ, help me to know myself and to discover my strengths and my failings, which dangers most impede the seed of your word from taking root and growing in my life. Help me as I strive to place you at the center of my life. Enable me to appreciate the goodness of all your creatures, yet giving none of them the place that belongs only to you. Let me never forget that the enemy of my soul is ever trying to take me from you. 

2. Constancy, resolve, renewed and sustained decision? and abundant fruit 

And as for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience?. 

Christ describes honesty and goodness the essential qualities of the good soil: honesty in recognizing that the seed needs attention and care, and goodness or generosity to whatever it takes to make it grow. Once we recognize the greatness of the seed and its potential fruits of eternal life, no sacrifice seems too big or too much. The more we cultivate honesty and goodness, a sense of what is right and good and just (even in a human way) in our life and are faithful to it in our conscience and actions, the better will we prepare the soil, our soul, for the action of God's grace. 

We have also to be honest in a Christian way, accepting that what Christ says in the gospel is spoken to us, for each of us to take personally into our life. His words may be words of life, but if I do not apply them and am not faithful to them in my personal life, they cannot bring life to my soul. Too easily we read the gospel and discover how others have to change. The point is for us to discover there how we have to. 

Patient endurance, perseverance separates the saints from the also-rans, according to Christ. We want to notice the difference overnight and so easily give up. If there were no battle involved in following Christ and if results were guaranteed from the beginning just with the decision to be good there would be no need for the sacrament of reconciliation. In life here on earth, and especially so in our Christian life and in our vocation, there are no results without sustained effort and repeated attempts after major and minor failures. You don't sow one day and reap the harvest the next. 

Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, give me an honest and good heart, a noble and sincere heart, a humble and patient heart. A heart like your own. Give me the humility it takes to persevere and not get disheartened at my failures or the difficulties I face. Enable me with your grace to be generous to do whatever it takes to make the seed bear fruit. 

Questionnaire: To help you to examine your life, in the light of what God has put in your heart in these moments you gave him in prayer. 

1. Considering the dangers to his word that Christ outlines in the parable of the sower, which are most applicable to me? What is most likely to be the cause I put him and his word aside?  

2. Concretely, do I take into account that Satan is actively trying to turn me from Christ's path? Is my religion still very much a self-centered thing of feelings? Is my life too cluttered with other things and plans for me to listen and give time to God?  

3. What is my practical attitude toward difficulties that crop up? Do I second-guess my resolutions and commitments when other, easier and more palatable possibilities present themselves?  

4. Have I acquired yet the human consistency of character, honesty, generosity, tenacity and sense of what is good and noble? that God's grace needs to work with in order to bear fruit in my life?