Memorial of Saint Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn, Priest, and Paul Chŏng Ha-sang,
and Companions, Martyrs
Lectionary: 448
Lectionary: 448
Brothers and
sisters:
Someone may say, “How are the dead raised?
With what kind of body will they come back?”
You fool!
What you sow is not brought to life unless it dies.
And what you sow is not the body that is to be
but a bare kernel of wheat, perhaps, or of some other kind.
So also is the resurrection of the dead.
It is sown corruptible; it is raised incorruptible.
It is sown dishonorable; it is raised glorious.
It is sown weak; it is raised powerful.
It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.
If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual one.
So, too, it is written,
“The first man, Adam, became a living being,”
the last Adam a life-giving spirit.
But the spiritual was not first;
rather the natural and then the spiritual.
The first man was from the earth, earthly;
the second man, from heaven.
As was the earthly one, so also are the earthly,
and as is the heavenly one, so also are the heavenly.
Just as we have borne the image of the earthly one,
we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one.
Someone may say, “How are the dead raised?
With what kind of body will they come back?”
You fool!
What you sow is not brought to life unless it dies.
And what you sow is not the body that is to be
but a bare kernel of wheat, perhaps, or of some other kind.
So also is the resurrection of the dead.
It is sown corruptible; it is raised incorruptible.
It is sown dishonorable; it is raised glorious.
It is sown weak; it is raised powerful.
It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.
If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual one.
So, too, it is written,
“The first man, Adam, became a living being,”
the last Adam a life-giving spirit.
But the spiritual was not first;
rather the natural and then the spiritual.
The first man was from the earth, earthly;
the second man, from heaven.
As was the earthly one, so also are the earthly,
and as is the heavenly one, so also are the heavenly.
Just as we have borne the image of the earthly one,
we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one.
Responsorial Psalm PS 56:10C-12, 13-14
R. (14) I will walk in the presence of God, in the
light of the living.
Now I know that God is with me.
In God, in whose promise I glory,
in God I trust without fear;
what can flesh do against me?
R. I will walk in the presence of God, in the light of the living.
I am bound, O God, by vows to you;
your thank offerings I will fulfill.
For you have rescued me from death,
my feet, too, from stumbling;
that I may walk before God in the light of the living.
R. I will walk in the presence of God, in the light of the living.
Now I know that God is with me.
In God, in whose promise I glory,
in God I trust without fear;
what can flesh do against me?
R. I will walk in the presence of God, in the light of the living.
I am bound, O God, by vows to you;
your thank offerings I will fulfill.
For you have rescued me from death,
my feet, too, from stumbling;
that I may walk before God in the light of the living.
R. I will walk in the presence of God, in the light of the living.
Gospel LK 8:4-15
When a large crowd
gathered, with people from one town after another
journeying to Jesus, he spoke in a parable.
“A sower went out to sow his seed.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled,
and the birds of the sky ate it up.
Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew,
it withered for lack of moisture.
Some seed fell among thorns,
and the thorns grew with it and choked it.
And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew,
it produced fruit a hundredfold.”
After saying this, he called out,
“Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”
Then his disciples asked him
what the meaning of this parable might be.
He answered,
“Knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God
has been granted to you;
but to the rest, they are made known through parables
so that they may look but not see, and hear but not understand.
“This is the meaning of the parable.
The seed is the word of God.
Those on the path are the ones who have heard,
but the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts
that they may not believe and be saved.
Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear,
receive the word with joy, but they have no root;
they believe only for a time and fall away in time of temptation.
As for the seed that fell among thorns,
they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along,
they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life,
and they fail to produce mature fruit.
But as for the seed that fell on rich soil,
they are the ones who, when they have heard the word,
embrace it with a generous and good heart,
and bear fruit through perseverance.”
journeying to Jesus, he spoke in a parable.
“A sower went out to sow his seed.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled,
and the birds of the sky ate it up.
Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew,
it withered for lack of moisture.
Some seed fell among thorns,
and the thorns grew with it and choked it.
And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew,
it produced fruit a hundredfold.”
After saying this, he called out,
“Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”
Then his disciples asked him
what the meaning of this parable might be.
He answered,
“Knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God
has been granted to you;
but to the rest, they are made known through parables
so that they may look but not see, and hear but not understand.
“This is the meaning of the parable.
The seed is the word of God.
Those on the path are the ones who have heard,
but the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts
that they may not believe and be saved.
Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear,
receive the word with joy, but they have no root;
they believe only for a time and fall away in time of temptation.
As for the seed that fell among thorns,
they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along,
they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life,
and they fail to produce mature fruit.
But as for the seed that fell on rich soil,
they are the ones who, when they have heard the word,
embrace it with a generous and good heart,
and bear fruit through perseverance.”
Meditation: "He who has ears to hear, let him hear"
How good are you at listening, especially for the word of God?
God is always ready to speak to each of us and to give us understanding of his
word. Jesus' parable of the sower is aimed at the hearers of his word. There
are different ways of accepting God's word and they produce different kinds of
fruit accordingly. There is the prejudiced hearer who has a shut mind. Such a
person is unteachable and blind to the things of God. Then there is the shallow
hearer who fails to think things out or think them through; such a person lacks
spiritual depth. They may initially respond with an emotional fervor; but when
it wears off their mind wanders to something else.
Does God's word for you go in one ear and out the other?
Another type of hearer is the person who has many interests and cares, but who lacks the ability to hear and understand what is truly important. Such a person is for ever too busy to pray and to listen and reflect on God's word because he or she allows other things to occupy their mind and heart. Whose voice or message gets the most attention from you - the voice of the world with its many distractions or the voice of God who wishes to speak his word of love and truth with you each and every day?
Another type of hearer is the person who has many interests and cares, but who lacks the ability to hear and understand what is truly important. Such a person is for ever too busy to pray and to listen and reflect on God's word because he or she allows other things to occupy their mind and heart. Whose voice or message gets the most attention from you - the voice of the world with its many distractions or the voice of God who wishes to speak his word of love and truth with you each and every day?
A receptive heart and mind that listens attentively
Jesus compares the third type of hearer with the good soil that is ready to receive the seed of his word so it can take root and grow, and produce good fruit. A receptive heart and open mind are always ready to hear what God wants to teach us through his word. The "ears of their heart" and the "eyes of their mind" search out the meaning of God's word for them so that it may grow and produce good fruit in their lives. They hear with a listening ear and teachable spirit (Isaiah 50:4-5) that wants to learn and understand the intention of God's word for them. They strive to tune out the noise and distractions of the world around them so they can give their attention to God's word and find nourishment in it. They listen in order to understand.
Jesus compares the third type of hearer with the good soil that is ready to receive the seed of his word so it can take root and grow, and produce good fruit. A receptive heart and open mind are always ready to hear what God wants to teach us through his word. The "ears of their heart" and the "eyes of their mind" search out the meaning of God's word for them so that it may grow and produce good fruit in their lives. They hear with a listening ear and teachable spirit (Isaiah 50:4-5) that wants to learn and understand the intention of God's word for them. They strive to tune out the noise and distractions of the world around them so they can give their attention to God's word and find nourishment in it. They listen in order to understand.
God's word has power to change and transform each one of us if
we receive it with trust (a believing heart) and allow it to take root in
our inner being (the depths of our heart, mind, and soul). God's word is our
daily food to nourish and strengthen us on our journey of faith to his
everlasting kingdom. Do you hunger for God's word?
"Lord Jesus, faith in your word is the way to wisdom, and
to ponder your divine plan is to grow in the truth. Open my eyes to your deeds,
and my ears to the sound of your call, that I may understand your will for my
life and live according to it."
 Treat Me Like Dirt! |
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September 20, 2014. Memorial of Saints Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn,
Priest, and Paul Chŏng Has-ang, and Companions, Martyrs
|
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Luke 8:4-15
When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town after
another journeying to him, he spoke in a parable. "A sower went out to
sow his seed. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled,
and the birds of the sky ate it up. Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when
it grew, it withered for lack of moisture. Some seed fell among thorns, and
the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some seed fell on good soil, and
when it grew, it produced fruit a hundredfold." After saying this, he
called out, "Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear." Then his
disciples asked him what the meaning of this parable might be. He answered,
"Knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God has been granted to
you; but to the rest, they are made known through parables so that ´they may
look but not see, and hear but not understand.´ This is the meaning of the
parable. The seed is the word of God. Those on the path are the ones who have
heard, but the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts that
they may not believe and be saved. Those on rocky ground are the ones who,
when they hear, receive the word with joy, but they have no root; they
believe only for a time and fall away in time of trial. As for the seed that
fell among thorns, they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along,
they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life, and they
fail to produce mature fruit. But as for the seed that fell on rich soil,
they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a
generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.”
Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for this precious time of
meditation and dialogue with you. In meditating on the Parable of the Sower,
help me to change so that I will not put any thorns, rocks or hardness of
heart in the way of your plans for my life.
Petition: Lord, grant me docility to your will for me.
1. Hard Ground: We act like hard ground when we hear the
inspirations of the Holy Spirit to do what is right, but let them pass as if
it were no big deal. We let the devil take away the grace Jesus offers us, and
it does not sink into our hearts. Many times superficiality and a lack of
faith prevent us from reflecting and taking advantage of the lights that God
gives us. We should pray to be more spiritual.
2. Rocky Ground: How many of us hear the Word of God with
joy and follow Christ in the peaceful times, but fall away in the times of
trial? We need to let our spiritual roots grow deeper; we need to let the
roots of God’s word grow more profoundly into our hearts. The best way to do
this is by reading and meditating on the Gospel and solidifying this faith
through the sacraments of confession and the Eucharist.
3. Thorny Ground: The thorny ground represents those of
us who are slowed down in our spiritual life by the anxieties, riches and
pleasures of life. When the ground of our hearts is thorny, we fail to
produce the mature fruit that Christ expects. And we live in the midst of so
many thorns…. In order to let God’s grace grow in us, we have to sacrifice
our own comfort and pleasure, because apart from the cross there is no growth
in personal holiness.
Dialogue with Christ: Lord Jesus, treat me like dirt … but good dirt. I don’t
want to place thorns or rocks or hardness of heart in the way of your word. I
want to be fertile soil for your word so that you can use me as an instrument
to save souls and glorify you.
Resolution: I promise to pray these words many times today: “Not my
will, but yours be done.”
By Father David Daly, LC
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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, LUKE 8:4-15
(1 Corinthians 15:35-37, 42-49; Psalm 56)
(1 Corinthians 15:35-37, 42-49; Psalm 56)
KEY VERSE: "And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew, it produced fruit a hundredfold" (v 8).
READING: As Jesus journeyed from town to town proclaiming the good news, he told the crowds a parable about hearing and acting on the word of God. In the story, Jesus compared God's word to seed that had been sown in both favorable and adverse conditions. He said that there were many reasons why some people failed to respond to God's word, thus preventing it from taking root in their lives. Satan, trials, worldly concerns and material pleasures were all obstacles to Jesus' offer of the gospel. Those who persisted in spite of these difficulties were the ones whose hearts were open and ready to receive the message of salvation. Each person has been given a bit of earth in which to plant God's word. With perseverance and devotion, they will bear abundant fruit in their lives.
REFLECTING: How have I helped others to hear the word of God?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help my heart to be fertile ground for your word.
Memorial of the Korean Martyrs, Andrew Kim
Taegon, priest and Paul Chong Hasang and their Companions
During the 19th century, Andrew Kim Taegon was Korea's first native priest, and the first priest to die for the faith in Korea. As leader of the community, Andrew was tortured and beheaded in 1846 at Seoul, Korea. Also martyred was Paul Chong Hasang, a layman, who was one of the great founders of the Catholic Church in Korea. Hasang reunited the scattered Christians, and encouraged them to keep their faith despite persecution. He died in the Gi Hye persecution of 1839 before he could be ordained. Three bishops and seven priests, were also put to death, but most of the martyrs were heroic laity, men and women, married and single of all ages. These martyrs were canonized by Pope John Paul II on May 6, 1984.
NOTE: The Korean Church is unique because it was founded entirely by zealous laypeople in the 17th century. This fledgling Church, so young and yet so strong in faith, withstood wave after wave of fierce persecution. Thus, in less than a century, it could boast of 10,000 martyrs. The death of these many martyrs became the leaven of the Church and led to the flowering of the Church in Korea. Even today their undying spirit sustains the Christians of the "Church of Silence" in the north of this tragically divided land.
I will walk in the presence of God, with the light of
the living
The seed is life waiting to be awakened from dormancy to new
expression—a beautiful blossoming of greenery and abundance.Its full potential is encased in its tiny form. The seed is also understood as the word of God. Although sown in liberal quantities, only seeds that take root and receive care and a receptive place to grow will be productive. Nurturing a seedling to maturity, or a child to adulthood, requires care, effort and patience over a long time. So too is the path of Christian life full of effort and challenge. When the vulnerability of our faith is tested, Lord, give us patience to care and be receptive to your Word.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
The Cruelest Weapon
We never think of connecting violence with our tongues. But the
first weapon, the most cruel weapon, is the tongue. Examine what part your
tongue has played in creating peace or violence. We can really wound a person,
we can kill a person, with our tongue.
September
20
Sts. Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang and Companions
(1821-1846)
Sts. Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang and Companions
(1821-1846)
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| St.Andrew Kim Tae-gon |
This first native Korean priest was the son of Korean converts.
His father, Ignatius Kim, was martyred during the persecution of 1839 and was
beatified in 1925. After Baptism at the age of 15, Andrew traveled 1,300 miles
to the seminary in Macao, China. After six years he managed to return to his
country through Manchuria. That same year he crossed the Yellow Sea to Shanghai
and was ordained a priest. Back home again, he was assigned to arrange for more
missionaries to enter by a water route that would elude the border patrol. He
was arrested, tortured and finally beheaded at the Han River near Seoul, the
capital. Paul Chong Hasang was a lay apostle and married man, aged 45.
Christianity
came to Korea during the Japanese invasion in 1592 when some Koreans were
baptized, probably by Christian Japanese soldiers. Evangelization was difficult
because Korea refused all contact with the outside world except for
bringing taxes to Beijing annually. On one of these occasions, around
1777, Christian literature obtained from Jesuits in China led educated Korean
Christians to study. A home Church began. When a Chinese priest managed to
enter secretly a dozen years later, he found 4,000 Catholics, none of whom had
ever seen a priest. Seven years later there were 10,000 Catholics. Religious
freedom came in 1883.
When Pope
John Paul II visited Korea in 1984 he canonized, besides Andrew and Paul, 98
Koreans and three French missionaries who had been martyred between 1839 and
1867. Among them were bishops and priests, but for the most part they were lay
persons: 47 women, 45 men.
Among the
martyrs in 1839 was Columba Kim, an unmarried woman of 26. She was put in
prison, pierced with hot tools and seared with burning coals. She and her
sister Agnes were disrobed and kept for two days in a cell with condemned
criminals, but were not molested. After Columba complained about the indignity,
no more women were subjected to it. The two were beheaded. A boy of 13, Peter
Ryou, had his flesh so badly torn that he could pull off pieces and throw them
at the judges. He was killed by strangulation. Protase Chong, a 41-year-old
noble, apostatized under torture and was freed. Later he came back, confessed
his faith and was tortured to death.
Today,
there are almost 5.1 million Catholics in Korea.
Comment:
We marvel at the fact that the Korean Church was strictly a lay Church for a dozen years after its birth. How did the people survive without the Eucharist? It is no belittling of this and other sacraments to realize that there must be a living faith before there can be a truly beneficial celebration of the Eucharist. The sacraments are signs of God's initiative and response to faith already present. The sacraments increase grace and faith, but only if there is something ready to be increased.
We marvel at the fact that the Korean Church was strictly a lay Church for a dozen years after its birth. How did the people survive without the Eucharist? It is no belittling of this and other sacraments to realize that there must be a living faith before there can be a truly beneficial celebration of the Eucharist. The sacraments are signs of God's initiative and response to faith already present. The sacraments increase grace and faith, but only if there is something ready to be increased.
Quote:
"The Korean Church is unique because it was founded entirely by lay people. This fledgling Church, so young and yet so strong in faith, withstood wave after wave of fierce persecution. Thus, in less than a century, it could boast of 10,000 martyrs. The death of these martyrs became the leaven of the Church and led to today's splendid flowering of the Church in Korea. Even today their undying spirit sustains the Christians in the Church of silence in the north of this tragically divided land" (Blessed John Paul II, speaking at the canonization).
"The Korean Church is unique because it was founded entirely by lay people. This fledgling Church, so young and yet so strong in faith, withstood wave after wave of fierce persecution. Thus, in less than a century, it could boast of 10,000 martyrs. The death of these martyrs became the leaven of the Church and led to today's splendid flowering of the Church in Korea. Even today their undying spirit sustains the Christians in the Church of silence in the north of this tragically divided land" (Blessed John Paul II, speaking at the canonization).
LECTIO DIVINA:
LUKE 8,4-15
Lectio:
Saturday, September 20, 2014 (All day)
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Almighty God,
our creator and guide,
may we serve you with all our hearts
and know your forgiveness in our lives.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
our creator and guide,
may we serve you with all our hearts
and know your forgiveness in our lives.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Luke 8,4-15
With a large crowd gathering and people from every town finding
their way to Jesus, he told this parable: ‘A sower went out to sow his seed.
Now as he sowed, some fell on the edge of the path and was trampled on; and the
birds of the air ate it up. Some seed fell on rock, and when it came up it
withered away, having no moisture. Some seed fell in the middle of thorns and
the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some seed fell into good soil and
grew and produced its crop a hundredfold.’ Saying this he cried, ‘Anyone who
has ears for listening should listen!’
His disciples asked him what this parable might mean, and he said, ‘To you is granted to understand the secrets of the kingdom of God; for the rest it remains in parables, so that they may look but not perceive, listen but not understand.
‘This, then, is what the parable means: the seed is the word of God. Those on the edge of the path are people who have heard it, and then the devil comes and carries away the word from their hearts in case they should believe and be saved.
Those on the rock are people who, when they first hear it, welcome the word with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of trial they give up.
As for the part that fell into thorns, this is people who have heard, but as they go on their way they are choked by the worries and riches and pleasures of life and never produce any crops.
As for the part in the rich soil, this is people with a noble and generous heart who have heard the word and take it to themselves and yield a harvest through their perseverance.
His disciples asked him what this parable might mean, and he said, ‘To you is granted to understand the secrets of the kingdom of God; for the rest it remains in parables, so that they may look but not perceive, listen but not understand.
‘This, then, is what the parable means: the seed is the word of God. Those on the edge of the path are people who have heard it, and then the devil comes and carries away the word from their hearts in case they should believe and be saved.
Those on the rock are people who, when they first hear it, welcome the word with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of trial they give up.
As for the part that fell into thorns, this is people who have heard, but as they go on their way they are choked by the worries and riches and pleasures of life and never produce any crops.
As for the part in the rich soil, this is people with a noble and generous heart who have heard the word and take it to themselves and yield a harvest through their perseverance.
3) Reflection
• In today’s Gospel, we will meditate on the parable of the
seed. Jesus had a very popular word to teach by means of parables. A parable is
a comparison which uses the visible things of life that are known to explain
the invisible and unknown things of the Kingdom of God. Jesus had an enormous
capacity to find very simple images to compare the things of God with the
things of life which people knew and experienced in their daily struggle to
survive. This presupposes two things: to be within the things of life, and to
be within the things of God, of the Kingdom of God. For example, the people of
Galilee understood all about seeds, of land, of rain, of the sun, of salt of
flowers, of the harvest, of fishing, etc. Now, there are exactly these known
things that Jesus uses in the parables to explain the mystery of the Kingdom.
The farmer who listens says: “The seed in the ground, I know what this means.
Jesus says that this has something to do with the Kingdom of God. What could
this ever be?” It is possible to imagine the long conversations with the
people! The parable enters into the heart of the people and urges them to
listen to nature and to think about life.
• When he finishes telling the parable, Jesus does not explain it, but he usually says: “Who has ears to hear, let him hear” This means: “This is: You have heard and so now try to understand!” From time to time he would explain to the disciples: People like this way of teaching, because Jesus believed in the personal capacity to discover the sense of the parables. The experience which people had of life was for him a means to discover the presence of the mystery of God in their life and to have courage not to be discouraged along the way.
• Luke 8, 4: The crowds follow Jesus. Luke says: a large crowd got around him and people from all the towns ran to him from all the towns. So then he tells them this parable. Mark describes how Jesus told the parable. There were so many people that he, in order not to fall, went into a boat and sitting down he taught the people who were on the seashore (Mk 4, 1).
• Luke 8, 5-8°: The parable of the seed is a mirror of the life of the farmers. At that time, it was not easy to live from agriculture. The ground was full of rocks; there was little rain, much sun. Besides, many times, people, to shorten the way, passed through the fields and stepped on the plants (Mk 2, 23). But in spite of that, every year the farmer sowed and planted, trusting in the force of the seed, in the generosity of nature.
• Luke 8, 8b: Anyone who has ears to hear let him hear! At the end, Jesus says: “Anyone who has ears to hear, let him hear!” The way to be able to understand the parable is to search: “Try to understand!” The parable does not say everything immediately, but moves the person to think. It does it in such a way that the person discovers the message beginning from the experience which the person has of the seed. It urges the person to be creative and to participate. It is not a doctrine which is presented ready to be taught and decorated. The parable is not water in a bottle, it is the source.
• Luke 8, 9-10: Jesus explains the parable to the disciples. At home, alone with Jesus, the disciples want to know the meaning of the parable. Jesus responds by means of a difficult and mysterious phrase. He says to the Disciples: “To you is granted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God, for the rest it remains in parables so that “they may look but not perceive, listen but not understand”. This phrase gives rise to a question in the heart of the people: What is the purpose of a parable? Is it to clarify or to hide things? Did Jesus uses the parables in order that people continue in their ignorance and would not convert themselves? Certainly not! In another place it is said that Jesus used the parables “according to what they could understand” (Mk 4, 33). The parable reveals and hides at the same time” It reveals for those who are “inside, within” who accept Jesus Messiah Servant. It hides for those who insist in seeing in him the Messiah the glorious King. These understand the images of the parable, but do not understand its meaning.
• Luke 8, 11-15: The explanation of the parable, in its diverse parts. One by one, Jesus explains the parts of the parable, the seed, and the earth up to the harvest time. Some scholars think that this explanation was added afterwards; that it would not be from Jesus’, but from one of the communities. This is possible! It does not matter! Because in the bud of the parable there is the flower of the explanation. Buds and flowers, both of them have the same origin, that is, Jesus. This is why we also can continue to reflect and to discover other beautiful things in the parable. Once, a person in a community asked: “Jesus says that we have to be salt. For what does salt serve?” The persons gave their opinion starting from the experience which each one had regarding salt! And they applied all this to the life of the community and discovered that to be salt is difficult and demanding. The parable functioned well! The same thing can be applied to the seeds. All have a certain experience.
• When he finishes telling the parable, Jesus does not explain it, but he usually says: “Who has ears to hear, let him hear” This means: “This is: You have heard and so now try to understand!” From time to time he would explain to the disciples: People like this way of teaching, because Jesus believed in the personal capacity to discover the sense of the parables. The experience which people had of life was for him a means to discover the presence of the mystery of God in their life and to have courage not to be discouraged along the way.
• Luke 8, 4: The crowds follow Jesus. Luke says: a large crowd got around him and people from all the towns ran to him from all the towns. So then he tells them this parable. Mark describes how Jesus told the parable. There were so many people that he, in order not to fall, went into a boat and sitting down he taught the people who were on the seashore (Mk 4, 1).
• Luke 8, 5-8°: The parable of the seed is a mirror of the life of the farmers. At that time, it was not easy to live from agriculture. The ground was full of rocks; there was little rain, much sun. Besides, many times, people, to shorten the way, passed through the fields and stepped on the plants (Mk 2, 23). But in spite of that, every year the farmer sowed and planted, trusting in the force of the seed, in the generosity of nature.
• Luke 8, 8b: Anyone who has ears to hear let him hear! At the end, Jesus says: “Anyone who has ears to hear, let him hear!” The way to be able to understand the parable is to search: “Try to understand!” The parable does not say everything immediately, but moves the person to think. It does it in such a way that the person discovers the message beginning from the experience which the person has of the seed. It urges the person to be creative and to participate. It is not a doctrine which is presented ready to be taught and decorated. The parable is not water in a bottle, it is the source.
• Luke 8, 9-10: Jesus explains the parable to the disciples. At home, alone with Jesus, the disciples want to know the meaning of the parable. Jesus responds by means of a difficult and mysterious phrase. He says to the Disciples: “To you is granted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God, for the rest it remains in parables so that “they may look but not perceive, listen but not understand”. This phrase gives rise to a question in the heart of the people: What is the purpose of a parable? Is it to clarify or to hide things? Did Jesus uses the parables in order that people continue in their ignorance and would not convert themselves? Certainly not! In another place it is said that Jesus used the parables “according to what they could understand” (Mk 4, 33). The parable reveals and hides at the same time” It reveals for those who are “inside, within” who accept Jesus Messiah Servant. It hides for those who insist in seeing in him the Messiah the glorious King. These understand the images of the parable, but do not understand its meaning.
• Luke 8, 11-15: The explanation of the parable, in its diverse parts. One by one, Jesus explains the parts of the parable, the seed, and the earth up to the harvest time. Some scholars think that this explanation was added afterwards; that it would not be from Jesus’, but from one of the communities. This is possible! It does not matter! Because in the bud of the parable there is the flower of the explanation. Buds and flowers, both of them have the same origin, that is, Jesus. This is why we also can continue to reflect and to discover other beautiful things in the parable. Once, a person in a community asked: “Jesus says that we have to be salt. For what does salt serve?” The persons gave their opinion starting from the experience which each one had regarding salt! And they applied all this to the life of the community and discovered that to be salt is difficult and demanding. The parable functioned well! The same thing can be applied to the seeds. All have a certain experience.
4) Personal questions
• The seed falls in four different places: on the road side,
among the rocks, among the thorns and in the good earth. What does each one of
these four places mean? What type of earth am I? Sometimes, people are rock;
other times thistles; other roadside, other times good ground. Normally, what
are we in our community?
• Which are the fruits which the Word of God is producing in our life and in our community?
• Which are the fruits which the Word of God is producing in our life and in our community?
5) Concluding Prayer
Your kingship is a kingship for ever,
your reign lasts from age to age.
Yahweh is trustworthy in all his words,
and upright in all his deeds. (Ps 145,12-13)
your reign lasts from age to age.
Yahweh is trustworthy in all his words,
and upright in all his deeds. (Ps 145,12-13)
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