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Translation
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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
John Chrysostom
What then comes of this seed? Three parts perish, and one is saved. "And when He sowed, some seeds fell," He saith, "by the way side; and the fowls came and devoured them up." He said not, that He cast them, but that "they fell." A fourth part is saved; and not this all alike, but even here great is the difference. Now these things He said, manifesting that He discoursed to all without grudging. …
Theophylact of Ohrid
Those by the way side are they who are lazy and indolent, who do not accept the word. For their minds are a pathway that is trodden and hard, and not in the least bit tilled. The word is snatched from them by the birds of the sky, that is, the spirits of the air, who are the demons.
Western Saints
Jerome
Behold, he who sows went out to sow. And while he was sowing, he was inside, at home, speaking to the disciples the mysteries. Therefore, he who sows the word of God went out from his house, in order to sow in the crowds. But this sower who sows is signified to be the Son of God, and to sow the word of the Father among the people. And at the same time, observe that this is the first parable, which is placed with its interpretation. …
Thomas Aquinas
But let us see about the impediment to the seed. For it is impeded in three ways, because three things are required. For it is required that the memory be preserved. Hence Proverbs 6:21: bind them upon your heart continually. The second is that it be rooted by love; Psalm 118:140: your word is exceedingly refined by fire, and your servant has loved it. Thirdly, diligence is required; 1 Timothy 6:11: pursue justice, godliness, faith, charity, patience, meekness etc. These three are taken away by three things. …
Rabanus Maurus
But those things which He silently left to our understanding, should be shortly noticed. The wayside is the mind trodden and hardened by the continual passage of evil thoughts; the rock, the hardness of the self-willed mind; the good soil, the gentleness of the obedient mind, the sun, the heat of a raging persecution. The depth of soil, is the honesty of a mind trained by heavenly discipline. But in thus expounding them we should add, that the same things are not always put in one and the same allegorical signification.
Translation