Hundred or sixty or thirtyfold

“But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.” (MK 13: 23)

Mother Teresa from Calcutta used to say that God expects from us not success but faithfulness. Our vocation to “bear fruit” is not about “production” but about “hearing the word and understanding it,” and from this and from perseverance comes a yield: “a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”

“Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart and yield a harvest through perseverance.” (Gospel Acclamation)