Thorny, Rocky Soil

Chapter 18 of the Book of  Wisdom describes the descent of God's powerful word from "heaven's royal throne" and its bounding over the earth like a fierce warrior, cutting down the bad,  taking root in thorny, rocky soil and making creation over anew.  (cf. Wis 18: 14-15). This text appears again toward the end of Advent as we get closer to Christmas, when we recall the birth of the Word in the still of the night.
In addition to that application of this text, we might also see it in the light of our own lives... For example, we commemorate three women today, Mary, Margaret of Scotland, and Gertrude, who allowed the word of God to renew them and through them, renew others.
 For Mary, the connection is obvious:  the Word became flesh in her and brought salvation to the human race.
Margaret was the wife of Malcom III of Scotland.  Her gentle spirit and beauty mellowed him and helped him to move from being a good man to an exemplary Christian and father of their 8 children, the youngest of whom became St. David, who reigned as king of Scotland and, like his mother and father, was noted for his generosity to the poor and to the Church.
St. Gertrude spent her life in the Cistercian Monastery at Helfta in Thuringia, and devoted her life to contemplation and prayer, having a profound effect on the nuns in her community.
In their simple ways these women allowed the word of God to bring forth fruit even on initially thorny and rocky soil, the kind we deal with daily.  May their example encourage us to trust and act with confidence that even in our families and communities, our simple acts of kindness and our good presence will overcome the rocks and thorns.
Bro.Rene