Jeremiah 3:14-17; Jeremiah 31:10-13; Matthew 13:18-23
Today is a feast of no small proportions - the grandparents of Jesus are celebrated today. So it may come as a surprise to have for our Gospel the explanation of the parable of the sower of the seeds. Although well known to many of us, Jesus had to explain it to his apostles and disciples the first time that they heard it.
The key, you will recall, is that seed has to be sown into good soil. The edge of the path, stony soil, thin soil are all no good, they will not sustain the plants for long.
From the very earliest of times, church tradition was that for Mary to be able to say her resounding ‘yes’ to Gods plan of salvation, she herself must be without any fault. And for that to happen, her parents in their turn must have been very blessed - for how could great good come out of anything less? Yet, however good, Mary’s parents could not have been prefect for like us, they were ordinary humans. In their case, tradition has it that they were childless into their old age: in the way of things then that would have been taken as a sign of imperfection - of sin.
These and other traditions of the church were recorded in documents that have not for various reasons been included in the Bible: notably the Gospel of James. This I have never read, but it does contain the names by which we know Mary’s parents, and there is no particular reason to doubt those details.
If you are not, or are not yet a grandparent, then look forward with joy to that time and remember that with your children, your responsibility is to help God prepare a rich soil for them to grow in. If you will never be a grandparent, then pray for those of us who are or may be, as your prayers will bring God’s light and rain to warm and water the soil in which our grandchildren will grow. Jane and I are so blessed, and we know your prayers are listened to.