{"id":1428,"date":"2025-10-12T13:07:15","date_gmt":"2025-10-12T11:07:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gomos.se\/en\/?p=1428"},"modified":"2025-10-21T13:11:56","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T11:11:56","slug":"h-e-metropolitan-cleopas-of-swedens-homily-on-the-fourth-sunday-of-luke","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gomos.se\/en\/h-e-metropolitan-cleopas-of-swedens-homily-on-the-fourth-sunday-of-luke\/","title":{"rendered":"H.E. Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden\u2019s Homily on the Fourth Sunday of Luke"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

St. George Cathedral of Stockholm<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sunday, October 12, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dearly Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today we hear one of the most beautiful and important parables that our Lord Jesus Christ ever spoke \u2014 the Parable of the Sower. Christ tells us about a man who went out to sow his seed. Some of it fell by the wayside and was eaten by birds; some fell on rocky ground and withered away; some fell among thorns and was choked; and some fell on good soil and produced much fruit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This parable is not just a story about farming. It is a mirror held up to our hearts. The seed is the Word of God, and the soil is the condition of our souls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Saint John Chrysostom says that the Lord speaks of the soul as soil because, like earth, it can either bring forth fruit or grow nothing at all. He writes, \u201cThe heart of man is able to receive the seed of God\u2019s Word, but whether it bears fruit depends on the care and attention we give to it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every one of us hears the same Word. But not everyone bears the same fruit. The problem is not with the seed \u2014 God\u2019s Word is always powerful and full of life. The problem is with the soil, the condition of our hearts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first kind of soil, the path, is hard and beaten down. The Word cannot enter because the heart has become closed. Saint Cyril of Alexandria explains that this happens when people hear the Gospel but do not take it seriously, and so \u201cthe devil comes and snatches the seed away.\u201d How many times do we hear the Scriptures read in church, yet leave unchanged? How often do we let distractions, doubts, or pride steal the Word from our hearts?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second kind of soil, the rocky ground, represents those who receive the Word with joy but have no root. Saint Gregory Palamas says that these are people who love the beauty of the Gospel but flee when trials come. When life becomes difficult, their faith withers because it was only on the surface. Brothers and sisters, the Christian life is not just about feelings; it is about faithfulness \u2014 holding fast to Christ in times of joy and in times of sorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The third kind of soil, the thorny ground, is where the Word is choked by \u201cthe cares, riches, and pleasures of life.\u201d Saint John Chrysostom warns us that even after we begin to grow in faith, we must be careful not to let worldly anxieties suffocate our spiritual life. We all have responsibilities \u2014 work, family, finances \u2014 but when these things dominate our minds, the Word of God finds no space to breathe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, there is the good soil \u2014 the heart that hears the Word, keeps it, and bears fruit with patience. Notice that Jesus says \u201cwith patience.\u201d Spiritual growth is not instant. Saint Nicholas Cabasilas reminds us that grace works gradually in the soul, like a seed growing quietly underground. We must water it with prayer, nourish it with the sacraments, and protect it from the weeds of sin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Fathers teach us that the soil of the heart can be changed. Even if our hearts have been hard, rocky, or full of thorns, repentance can transform them. Just as a farmer tills the ground to prepare it for seed, we must cultivate our hearts through confession, humility, and love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prayer softens the soil. Fasting removes the stones. Almsgiving pulls out the thorns. And the Holy Eucharist fills the soul with divine life. When we live in communion with Christ, our hearts become fertile ground for the Word to take root and grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saint Gregory the Theologian once said, \u201cLet us become good soil, that we may bear fruit \u2014 some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty \u2014 but all for the glory of God.\u201d The measure of fruitfulness does not matter as much as our faithfulness. Even a small fruit, grown in humility, is precious in the eyes of the Lord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today Christ the Sower passes by once again, scattering His divine Word into the field of our hearts. The question is: what kind of soil will He find? Will His Word find a heart open and ready to receive Him?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let us each prepare our hearts so that the seed may not be wasted. Let us listen with attention, hold fast with patience, and live the Word we hear. Then the Lord will make us \u201cgood soil\u201d \u2014 souls that bring forth fruit a hundredfold in faith, in hope, and in love. Amen!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

St. George Cathedral of Stockholm Sunday, October 12, 2025 Dearly Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Today we hear one of the most beautiful and important parables that our Lord Jesus Christ ever spoke \u2014 the Parable of the Sower. Christ tells us about a man who went out to sow his seed. Some of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1430,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[21,15],"tags":[22,24],"class_list":["post-1428","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-homilies","category-news","tag-homily","tag-st-georgios-cathedral-stockholm"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/featured-8.jpg?fit=700%2C334&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4149,"url":"https:\/\/gomos.se\/en\/h-e-metropolitan-cleopas-of-swedens-homily-on-the-bridegroom-service\/","url_meta":{"origin":1428,"position":0},"title":"H.E. Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden\u2019s homily on the Bridegroom Service","author":"mplexus","date":"April 6, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"[:en] St. George Cathedral of Stockholm Monday, April 6, 2026 Dearly Beloved Brothers & Sisters in Christ, Tonight our Church gathers for one of the most moving services of Holy Week \u2013 the Bridegroom Matins. In this service we sing a hymn that begins, \u201cBehold, the Bridegroom comes at midnight,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Homilies"","block_context":{"text":"Homilies","link":"https:\/\/gomos.se\/en\/category\/metropolitan\/homilies\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/featured-9.jpg?fit=800%2C656&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/featured-9.jpg?fit=800%2C656&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/featured-9.jpg?fit=800%2C656&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/featured-9.jpg?fit=800%2C656&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3496,"url":"https:\/\/gomos.se\/en\/h-e-metropolitan-cleopas-homily-on-the-third-stanza-of-the-akathist\/","url_meta":{"origin":1428,"position":1},"title":"H.E. Metropolitan Cleopas\u2019 Homily on the Third Stanza of the Akathist, 13\/3\/2026","author":"mplexus","date":"March 13, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"[:en] St. George Cathedral of Stockholm Friday, March 13, 2026 Dearly Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, In the third stanza of the Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos, the Church continues the angelic greeting that began at the Annunciation. After the Archangel\u2019s message to the Virgin, we behold the mystery\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Homilies"","block_context":{"text":"Homilies","link":"https:\/\/gomos.se\/en\/category\/metropolitan\/homilies\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/featured-8.jpg?fit=800%2C617&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/featured-8.jpg?fit=800%2C617&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/featured-8.jpg?fit=800%2C617&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/featured-8.jpg?fit=800%2C617&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4577,"url":"https:\/\/gomos.se\/en\/christ-is-risen-at-the-st-george-cathedral-of-stockholm\/","url_meta":{"origin":1428,"position":2},"title":"“Christ is Risen,” at the St. George Cathedral of Stockholm.","author":"mplexus","date":"April 21, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"[:en] [:el] [:]","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/gomos.se\/en\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Untitled2.jpg?fit=754%2C551&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Untitled2.jpg?fit=754%2C551&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Untitled2.jpg?fit=754%2C551&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Untitled2.jpg?fit=754%2C551&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1938,"url":"https:\/\/gomos.se\/en\/the-feast-of-saint-nicholas-at-the-finnish-parish-of-stockholm\/","url_meta":{"origin":1428,"position":3},"title":"The Feast of Saint Nicholas at the Finnish Parish of Stockholm","author":"mplexus","date":"December 11, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"[:en] On the morning of Saturday, December 6, 2025, His Eminence Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden and All Scandinavia presided over the Divine Liturgy in Chorostasia at the festal Finnish Parish of Saint Nicholas in Stockholm. 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Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden\u2019s Homily on the 12th Sunday of Matthew","author":"mplexus","date":"September 1, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"[:en] St. George Cathedral of Stockholm Sunday, August 31, 2025 Dearly Beloved Brothers & Sisters in Christ, In today\u2019s Gospel reading, we learn about a young man seeking eternal life, out of earnest desire. Christ first gently guides him toward the commandments; what the Mosaic Law demands. 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Metropolitan Cleopas\u2019 Homily on the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple and the Nativity of Chirst","author":"mplexus","date":"November 23, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"[:en] St. George Cathedral of Stockholm Sunday, November 23, 2025 Dearly Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Let us reflect upon two radiant feasts that illuminate the entire mystery of salvation, the Entrance of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple and the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ. 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