{"id":41050,"date":"2020-03-16T10:28:25","date_gmt":"2020-03-16T14:28:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lent.fll.cc\/farmer-of-hearts-day18\/"},"modified":"2021-03-25T14:07:56","modified_gmt":"2021-03-25T18:07:56","slug":"farmer-of-hearts-day18","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lent.fll.cc\/en\/farmer-of-hearts-day18\/","title":{"rendered":"Day 18 Thorns that Choke"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Day 18 (Mar 17)
– Thorns that Choke<\/h1>\n

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Day 18 (Mar 17)
Thorns that Choke<\/h1>\n

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What is choking God's presence in your life? <\/h1>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_audio audio=”https:\/\/lent.fll.cc\/farmer-of-hearts\/zh\/foh_day18_zh.mp3″ title=”Audio (in Cantonese)” disabled_on=”off|off|off” _builder_version=”4.3.2″ background_color=”#73a642″ custom_margin=”10px||10px||false|false” custom_padding=”10px||10px||false|false” locked=”off”][\/et_pb_audio][et_pb_audio audio=”https:\/\/lent.fll.cc\/farmer-of-hearts\/cn\/foh_day18_cn.mp3″ title=”Audio (in Mandarin)” disabled_on=”off|off|off” _builder_version=”4.3.2″ background_color=”#73a642″ custom_margin=”10px||10px||false|false” custom_padding=”10px||10px||false|false” locked=”off”][\/et_pb_audio][et_pb_audio audio=”https:\/\/lent.fll.cc\/farmer-of-hearts\/en\/foh_day18_en.mp3″ title=”English” disabled_on=”off|off|off” _builder_version=”4.3.2″ background_color=”#73a642″ custom_margin=”10px||10px||false|false” custom_padding=”10px||10px||false|false” locked=”off”][\/et_pb_audio][et_pb_text disabled_on=”on|on|on” admin_label=”Audio in English (Coming Soon)” _builder_version=”4.3.2″ text_font_size=”20px” text_orientation=”center” custom_margin=”5px||5px||false|false” custom_padding=”10px||10px||false|false” disabled=”on”]Audio in English (Coming Soon)[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.3.2″ background_color=”#ed374e” custom_padding=”39px|||||” locked=”off”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.3.2″ animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”left”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.3.2″][et_pb_testimonial author=”- St. Catherine of Siena” quote_icon_color=”#ffffff” use_icon_font_size=”on” icon_font_size=”40px” _builder_version=”4.3.2″ body_font=”Yesteryear||on||||||” body_text_color=”#ffffff” body_font_size=”35px” author_font=”Arial||||||||” author_font_size=”23px” author_line_height=”1em” use_background_color=”off” text_orientation=”center” link_option_url_new_window=”on”]<\/p>\n

\u201cUproot from that garden the stinking weeds filled with impurity and avarice, <\/br>and bloated with pride.\u201d<\/h2>\n

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In Jesus' parable of the sower, \u201csome seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it.\u201d (Luke 8:7)<\/h2>\n

What does this scenario represent? Jesus explained these are people who have heard God's Word, \u201cbut as they go along, they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life, and they fail to produce mature fruit.\u201d (Luke 8:14)<\/h2>\n

Pope Francis interprets these thorns as \u201cthe vices which come to blows with God, which choke his presence: above all these are the idols of worldly wealth, living avidly, for oneself, for possessions and for power. If we cultivate these thorns, we choke God's growth within us. Each of us can recognize his or her big or small thorns, the vices that inhabit the heart, those more or less deeply rooted briars that God does not like and that prevent us from having a clean heart. It is necessary to tear them out, otherwise the Word cannot bear fruit, the seed will not grow.\u201d (Pope Francis' Angelus Address<\/a><\/span>)<\/h2>\n

Due to original sin, we are prone to vices and struggle with worldly anxieties and temptations. The good news is God is with us, and He wants to help us remediate our soil, so His Word can grow in us.<\/h2>\n

As we have clinged onto these tough weeds all our lives, are we ready to let go and let God uproot them?<\/h2>\n

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\u201cLord, I am ready.\u201d<\/h1>\n

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REFLECTION:<\/h1>\n

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Am I aware of the thorns that prevents God's Word to grow in my heart? What are those thorns?<\/h2>\n

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TODAY'S PRAYER<\/h1>\n

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Lord, thank you for giving me hope and courage. <\/br>Please continue to show me the thorns that choke your presence and hinder your teachings, and grant me the strength to uproot them with you.<\/h2>\n

As my response to your invitation, Lord, let me spend some time in prayer to reflect on those teachings that had been choked in my heart, and allow me to reclaim those seeds and <\/br>let them grow in me again.<\/h2>\n

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.<\/h2>\n

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