The Sower (Matthew 13:1-9)
On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea. Such large crowds gathered around Him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore.
And He spoke to them at length in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
Visio Divina (“divine seeing”) is a practice of examination and praying with sacred art as a tool for growing closer to God and His mysteries. Following the prompts below, note what happens during each step and talk to God about it.
Lectio: Read the image and accompanying Scripture. Examine the content, look for details and what stands out to you. Work to understand the meaning or story being told by the image.
Meditatio: Meditate on the image and connect to what you know about the background of the image. Imagine yourself present in the events and consider expressions, colors and symbols.
Oratio: Pray with the image. Have a conversation with God about what you see in the image and what you think about it. Ask Him to reveal what He wants you to understand through this art.
Contemplatio: Contemplate the image. Examine it again and note what God has taught you through your prayer with the art.
Actio: Ask God how to put your prayer into action. How is he calling you to live out what you’ve learned through this experience?
