When Jesus answers the apostles’ question about why he speaks in parables, it may seem as if he is using them to confuse people. We know he is trying to spread the good news of God’s kingdom. So he talks to the crowds in parables, easily understood stories that usually have a moral or that end with a question for the hearers. He uses these stories to teach the crowd. Jesus threw out parables like a farmer sowing seeds. Some of them fell on the ears of those who would be disciples. But most fell on the ears of people not ready to understand. So how do we receive his word? Do we hear it without understanding, letting it go in one ear and out the other? Do we hear it joyfully, but then forget it when troubles or difficulties come along? Do we listen to the word but ignore it in the face of some later temptation? If we want the word to grow strong in us, we can take steps to help ourselves understand it. We can come to church early and spend a few minutes with the readings before Mass. After Mass we can talk about the readings or the homily with our family over breakfast. We can pick out one practical point to practice that week. Keeping the word in difficult times is not easy. The cross teaches us to expect troubles, but we have to endure them to really learn that we can go through suffering to a new life. To be strong enough to resist temptations, we have to decide each day that we want to follow Jesus’ word. We can pray for that strength and ask God to help us remember that word when temptations come. And we can decide to stay away from the places, people, or situations that so tempt us. God’s word can be likened to a ball game. We can sit back and watch, not really involved or caring who wins. Or we can jump in and participate and make the game ours. Let us ask God how we can take the word and run with it.