Rich Soil Bears Fruit (Matt 13:23) by Rosemary Bernth

“But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”~ Matt 13:23 (full readings)

Rosemary’s Reflections: When Olympic marathoner Ryan Hall was asked to list his coach, he wrote down one name: God. When asked to name a real person, Hall responded, “He is a real person.” Hall felt that although he was becoming a great runner, he wasn’t a great Christian. “I was sick of saying I’m a Christian but not having a desperation for God in my life. I wanted to need God. I wanted to make my faith more active in my life.” So he turned to Scripture and incorporated it into his routine. Obviously listening to the Word of God and actually applying it to his life has born fruit for him. Yet still remains humble and isn’t afraid to praise God for his talents, saying the amount of running he does proves our bodies are gifts from God. In an age where athletes are idolized, even while their behavior isn’t role model behavior, Hall seems to show that there is always a place for God in the sports arena. *Rosemary Bernth (LIFE Runner) was a journalist for the Diocese of Sioux City’s newspaper and is now a writing/travel graduate student at Chatham University in Pittsburgh, PA.

Counter-Culture News: LifeSiteNews, Priests for Life, Vatican, Project Rachel.

Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion. LIFE Runners Creed. Add Prayers. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.

Feast Day: Blessed Antonio Lucci

Faith Quote: “I was a runner who happened to be a Christian. I needed to become a Christian who happened to be a runner.” ~Ryan Hall