In the ancient rhythm of Septuagesima, the Church prepares her children for the spiritual combat of Lent. Dominica in Sexagesima, the second Sunday of this pre-Lenten season, draws our attention to suffering, perseverance, and the necessity of spiritual receptivity to the Word of God. Today’s Epistle and Gospel lay before us two complementary images: the Apostle in tribulation and the Sower sowing his seed. Through them, Holy Mother Church invites us to deeper humility, vigilance, and docility to grace.
The Apostle’s Boast in Weakness (2 Cor. 11:19–33; 12:1–9)
St. Paul presents a paradox: he boasts not in his strength, but in his weakness. He lays bare his sufferings—beatings, shipwrecks, hunger, sleepless nights—not to gain pity, but to magnify the power of Christ working through his human frailty. “Gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may dwell in me” (2 Cor. 12:9).
St. John Chrysostom, commenting on this passage, notes that Paul “turns the catalogue of his trials into a triumph, showing that what the world calls shame, the Christian calls glory.” His sufferings are not hindrances but proof of his apostolic authenticity, for he bears in his body the marks of Christ (cf. Gal. 6:17).
The pinnacle of Paul’s reflection is the mysterious vision—”caught up to the third heaven”—a moment of sublime intimacy with God. And yet, even here, a “thorn in the flesh” is given to him, “lest the greatness of the revelations should exalt me” (2 Cor. 12:7). This thorn, which the Fathers variously interpret as bodily affliction, temptation, or persecution, serves a higher purpose: to keep the Apostle humble and dependent on divine grace.
St. Augustine reflects that “God, in His mercy, grants not what we wish, but what we need. Paul prays to be delivered, and God answers, ‘My grace is sufficient for thee.’” The implication for us is clear: suffering has a redemptive value when united to Christ. We are not saved through comfort, but through the Cross.
The Sower and the Soil (Luke 8:4–15)
The Gospel for Sexagesima presents the Parable of the Sower. Our Lord, knowing the approach of Lent, reminds us that it is not enough to hear the Word—what matters is how we receive it.
The seed is the Word of God. The soil is the human heart. And the Sower is Christ Himself. “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Lk 8:8).
St. Bede the Venerable writes:
“The four types of soil signify the four dispositions of men. Yet none is unchangeable; the rocky can be softened, the thorny cleared. Only let us receive the Word with a good and perfect heart, and it shall bring forth fruit in patience.”
The danger lies in spiritual inattentiveness: the seed that falls on the path is stolen by devils; the rocky soul is initially zealous, but lacks endurance; the thorny heart is distracted by pleasures and cares of the world. Only the good ground yields fruit, and that only through perseverance.
Origen offers a striking insight:
“There are many who begin well but fail to finish. Only he in whom the Word takes root, who permits it to grow unhindered by worldly distractions, and who waters it with prayer and tears, will bear fruit unto eternal life.”
This parable challenges us to examine the condition of our own souls. Are we too distracted, too hardened, too shallow? Lent is approaching: now is the acceptable time to till the soil, to remove the stones and thorns through penance, fasting, and prayer. As Pope St. Gregory the Great exhorts in a homily on this text:
“The field of the soul must be broken by the plow of compunction, that it may receive the seed of the Word.”
Union of Epistle and Gospel
The union of the two readings is profound. St. Paul is a living example of the “good ground” in which the seed has borne abundant fruit. But even he needed the thorn in his side—a constant humbling—to preserve his fruitfulness. His perseverance in trial is the very patience Christ speaks of in the Gospel.
Moreover, both readings point us to a truth central to the Christian life: grace demands cooperation. The seed is sown by God, but it must be received, nurtured, and guarded. Likewise, the strength of the Apostle is divine, but it is made perfect in human weakness only when that weakness is surrendered to God.
Conclusion: Preparation of the Heart
As we journey through this pre-Lenten season, the Church calls us to imitate both the example and the interior disposition of St. Paul. Let us boast in nothing but the Cross, and like the fertile soil, receive the Word of God in humility and perseverance.
Let us remember the words of the prophet Hosea, often quoted by the Fathers:
“Break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord” (Hos. 10:12).
May we prepare the soil of our hearts now, so that in Lent and beyond, the divine Sower may find us ready to bear fruit—thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.
Suggested Prayer:
O Lord Jesus Christ, divine Sower of the Word, grant that the seed of Thy Gospel may fall upon the good soil of our hearts. Remove from us the stones of pride, the thorns of worldly cares, and the dryness of sloth. Give us, through the intercession of Thy Apostle Paul and the prayers of Thy Blessed Mother, the grace to suffer well, to listen deeply, and to bear fruit in patience. Amen.