As part of the Pre-Vocational Congress of the Northern Region 1 of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB), Cardinal Leonardo Ulrich Steiner, Metropolitan Archbishop of Manaus and president of the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA), invited the Church to renew its commitment to mission, recalling that all the baptized are called to be sowers of the Word and witnesses of hope.
The Eucharistic celebration, held at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of the Conception, brought together more than seventy participants in the Regional Vocational Pre-Congress, who were concluding several days of formation and discernment in preparation for the Fifth Vocational Congress of Brazil, to be held September 4–6, 2026, in Aparecida.
The Mass was concelebrated by Bishop Wilfried Theising, auxiliary bishop of Münster (Germany), who was visiting the Archdiocese of Manaus, and Bishop José Albuquerque, bishop of Parintins and national coordinator of the Vocational Animation Service (SAV), along with priests who guided the formation process during the gathering.
The God Who Never Stops Sowing
Inspired by the parable of the sower (Mt 13:1–23), Cardinal Steiner offered a profound reflection on God’s ongoing action in human history.
The president of CEAMA recalled that God has been sowing life since the beginning of creation and continues to do so today with inexhaustible generosity.
“The Word has been sowing from all eternity. It sowed stars, it sowed suns, it sowed life, it sowed hope, liberation, and faithfulness. And it continues to sow. We are the recipients of that Word of love, of conversion, of hope, and of liberation,” he said.
The cardinal emphasized that the sower does not choose where to cast the seed, but rather offers it abundantly, trusting that it will find fertile ground where it can sprout and bear fruit.
Being Good Soil for the Gospel
Drawing on the teachings of St. Augustine, the cardinal invited the faithful to ask themselves what kind of soil they offer to the Word of God.
He recalled that the Gospel calls each person to abandon hardened paths, the rocks of superficiality, and the thorns that represent the worries, ambitions, and selfishness that hinder the growth of the Kingdom.
“Jesus is the sower, but He is also the seed. God never ceases to sow in our lives, even in the midst of our frailties, rejections, and difficulties. That is why we are called to prepare our hearts so that the Word may bear abundant fruit,” he affirmed.
We Are All Missionary Disciples
Addressing especially those who participated in the Pre-Vocational Congress, the cardinal recalled that every vocation arises from Baptism and is oriented toward mission.
“By the grace of the seed, we are all missionary disciples. We are all called to sow the Word. All vocations in the Church exist to offer seeds of hope, peace, comfort, strength, and love,” he noted.
In this regard, he emphasized that the Church’s mission consists not only in proclaiming the Gospel with words, but also in sowing hope where life faces suffering, exclusion, and discouragement.
The Word Always Bears Fruit
During the homily, the cardinal also recalled the words of the prophet Isaiah: “The word that goes out from my mouth will not return to me empty,” affirming that this promise sustains the Church’s confidence amid the challenges of evangelization.
Although the proclamation of the Gospel may seem fruitless in some contexts, he explained that the Word of God always bears fruit when it encounters hearts open to receiving it.
In concluding his reflection, he invited the entire Church to contemplate the example of Jesus Christ, who offers the Gospel without distinguishing between people.
“Just as the sower scatters the seed with simplicity and generosity, so too does Jesus offer his Word to everyone, without distinguishing between rich and poor, wise and uneducated, strong and weak. He offers salvation to all humanity,” he said.