Dear Saints Simon and Jude Parish Community,

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus gives us the familiar and beautiful parable of the sower. A farmer goes out to sow seed, scattering it generously. Some falls on the path, some on rocky ground, some among thorns, and some on rich soil. The seed is the Word of God, and the soil is the condition of our hearts.

It is a simple image, but like all of Jesus’ parables, it invites us to look a little deeper. God is always sowing. He is always speaking. He is always planting seeds of grace, hope, conversion, healing, and new life. The question is not whether God is at work. The question is whether our hearts are ready to receive what He is planting.

Sometimes our hearts are like the path, worn down by routine, distraction, or busyness. We hear the Word, but it does not have a chance to sink in. Sometimes our hearts are like rocky ground. We receive God’s Word with joy, but when life gets hard, our roots are not deep enough to hold us steady. Sometimes our hearts are full of thorns: worry, comparison, fear, stress, and all the many things that compete for our attention. These things can choke out the quiet voice of God before it has a chance to bear fruit.

But then there is the rich soil. The open heart. The listening heart. The heart that makes room for God. Jesus tells us that this is where the seed bears fruit, “a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”

This summer at Saints Simon and Jude, we have been reflecting on the beautiful truth that every story leads to the Kingdom. Through our summer events, gatherings, celebrations, and moments of fellowship, we have been watching the story God is writing among us. These moments may seem simple on the outside: gathering after Mass, sharing food, praying together, showing up for one another, welcoming new faces, laughing with old friends, bringing our families, inviting neighbors, and building community. But these are also the places where seeds are being planted.

A conversation after Mass can become a seed of friendship. A shared meal can become a seed of belonging. A summer night of prayer and reflection can become a seed of deeper faith. A volunteer’s quiet “yes” can become a seed of service. A family showing up together can become a seed of discipleship. A parish community gathered in joy can become rich soil for the Gospel.

That is what community does. It helps prepare the soil. When we participate in parish life, we are not simply attending events. We are making room for God to work in us and through us. We are allowing our hearts to be softened, stretched, rooted, and nourished. We are helping one another hear, understand, and live the Word of God.

At Saints Simon and Jude, the story God is writing is not just found in big moments. It is found in every act of hospitality, every invitation, every volunteer hour, every prayer, every Mass, every conversation, and every person who chooses to be part of the life of the parish. Each one matters. Each one is a seed.

The parable of the sower reminds us that God is generous. He scatters grace everywhere. He does not hold back. He keeps planting, even when the soil is not perfect. And that should give us great hope, because none of us comes to Him with a perfect heart. We all have rocky places. We all have thorns. We all have distractions. But God keeps sowing, and He keeps inviting us to become rich soil.

This week, may we ask the Lord to prepare our hearts. May we have ears to hear what He is speaking. May we have eyes to see the grace already growing around us. And may our parish community continue to be a place where the Word of God takes root and bears fruit for the Kingdom.

In Christ,

Lyssa Rollolazo

Director of Communications & Hospitality

And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved. – Acts 2:47