In our current world, technological advancements are happening at a rapid pace. It seems as though every week, there is some new app for your phone or some device to help you in your daily life.

There is one that has been out for a while, and maybe you have seen the commercial for it. It’s a personal EKG device. You hook it up to your phone, place two fingers from each hand on it, and it gives you a medical-grade EKG. They say the device can give you peace of mind because you know the status of your heart.

I’m not trying to sell you anything this morning, but it popped into my head as I was thinking about today’s reading because of the question they asked.

In the commercial, the question asked of the people passing by is this: “How is your heart?” And there are different responses, like “eh,” “it’s beating,” “I don’t really keep an eye on it,” or “it’s pretty good,” and one person said they had an irregular heartbeat.

The different responses seem typical, right? Some people spend no time thinking about their heart, while others may spend a little or a lot based on their overall health.

I want to change that question and ask you to think about it. My question is not, “How is your heart?” but, “Where is your heart?”

Our readings mention seeds and soil, the rain and snow. So, what does that have to do with your heart? As we heard in the Gospel, Jesus was using parables, or simple stories, to convey his message.

These parables were meant to provoke people to thought and reflection—in other words, to respond to his word.

We read the shorter version of this Gospel today, as we typically do – just the first 9 of the 23 verses. So, I am going to read the last 6 verses, where Jesus explains the parable to his disciples.

18 – Hear then the parable of the sower.

19 – The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart.

20 – The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.

21 – But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away.

22 – The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit.

23 – 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.”

Can you relate to any of these responses? Maybe you relate to them at different points in your life. How about today? Your response can tell you where your heart is.

Through Isaiah, God tells us his words do not go to waste. They come down to us, and if we let them, they can enter our hearts and minds and change us. And in Isaiah’s time, those words were words of repentance, calling the people to change their ways and return to God.

And in the New Testament, that word was not just any word; the Word was Jesus himself. He came down, showering us with the Father’s mercy and grace, and he did not return to the Father until his work was completed, conquering sin and death.

Jesus also said he talks in parables “because ‘they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.’” (Matt. 13:18)

Our challenge, like in any relationship, is to be present, listen, and respond to the other. God invites us into a relationship with him. How will you respond? Where is your heart in this most important relationship in your life?

Do you rarely think of him or spend time getting to know him? Do you hear him when times are good and forget when times are bad? Are you so caught up in the ways of the world, trying to get ahead, or so worried about everything, that you hear his word but are not really listening to it and how it will help you?

St. Paul’s message today should help us in our relationship with God. He wrote, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us.” (Rom. 8:18)

If we focus our hearts on God, surrendering everything we have and are to him, we know by faith that God will give us the strength to endure our current and future sufferings so we can look forward to the incomparable joys of heaven.

Starting today, take time for a heart checkup. The good thing is, you don’t need a device to help. Just listen for God’s voice. Don’t just hear it; really listen to it. See him in the people you know or meet, or even in the beauty of the world all around us. Spend time with him, reflecting on his Word and sitting with him in an adoration chapel or some quiet place. Let God guide you, and you will always know where your heart is.