Memorial of Saint Francis de Sales,
Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 319
Lectionary: 319
That night the LORD spoke to Nathan and said:
"Go, tell my servant David, 'Thus says the LORD:
Should you build me a house to dwell in?
I have not dwelt in a house
from the day on which I led the children of Israel 319
out of Egypt to the present,
but I have been going about in a tent under cloth.
In all my wanderings everywhere among the children of Israel,
did I ever utter a word to any one of the judges
whom I charged to tend my people Israel, to ask:
Why have you not built me a house of cedar?'
"Now then, speak thus to my servant David,
'The LORD of hosts has this to say:
It was I who took you from the pasture
and from the care of the flock
to be commander of my people Israel.
I have been with you wherever you went,
and I have destroyed all your enemies before you.
And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth.
I will fix a place for my people Israel;
I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place
without further disturbance.
Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old,
since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel.
I will give you rest from all your enemies.
The LORD also reveals to you that he will establish a house for you.
And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors,
I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins,
and I will make his Kingdom firm.
It is he who shall build a house for my name.
And I will make his royal throne firm forever.
I will be a father to him,
and he shall be a son to me.
And if he does wrong,
I will correct him with the rod of men
and with human chastisements;
but I will not withdraw my favor from him
as I withdrew it from your predecessor Saul,
whom I removed from my presence.
Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me;
your throne shall stand firm forever.'"
Nathan reported all these words and this entire vision to David.
"Go, tell my servant David, 'Thus says the LORD:
Should you build me a house to dwell in?
I have not dwelt in a house
from the day on which I led the children of Israel 319
out of Egypt to the present,
but I have been going about in a tent under cloth.
In all my wanderings everywhere among the children of Israel,
did I ever utter a word to any one of the judges
whom I charged to tend my people Israel, to ask:
Why have you not built me a house of cedar?'
"Now then, speak thus to my servant David,
'The LORD of hosts has this to say:
It was I who took you from the pasture
and from the care of the flock
to be commander of my people Israel.
I have been with you wherever you went,
and I have destroyed all your enemies before you.
And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth.
I will fix a place for my people Israel;
I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place
without further disturbance.
Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old,
since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel.
I will give you rest from all your enemies.
The LORD also reveals to you that he will establish a house for you.
And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors,
I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins,
and I will make his Kingdom firm.
It is he who shall build a house for my name.
And I will make his royal throne firm forever.
I will be a father to him,
and he shall be a son to me.
And if he does wrong,
I will correct him with the rod of men
and with human chastisements;
but I will not withdraw my favor from him
as I withdrew it from your predecessor Saul,
whom I removed from my presence.
Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me;
your throne shall stand firm forever.'"
Nathan reported all these words and this entire vision to David.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 89:4-5, 27-28, 29-30
R. (29a) For
ever I will maintain my love for my servant.
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have sworn to David my servant:
I will make your dynasty stand forever
and establish your throne through all ages.”
R. For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.
“He shall cry to me, ‘You are my father,
my God, the Rock that brings me victory!’
I myself make him firstborn,
Most High over the kings of the earth.”
R. For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.
“Forever I will maintain my love for him;
my covenant with him stands firm.
I will establish his dynasty forever,
his throne as the days of the heavens.”
R. For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have sworn to David my servant:
I will make your dynasty stand forever
and establish your throne through all ages.”
R. For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.
“He shall cry to me, ‘You are my father,
my God, the Rock that brings me victory!’
I myself make him firstborn,
Most High over the kings of the earth.”
R. For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.
“Forever I will maintain my love for him;
my covenant with him stands firm.
I will establish his dynasty forever,
his throne as the days of the heavens.”
R. For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower;
all who come to him will live forever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower;
all who come to him will live forever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMK 4:1-20
On another occasion, Jesus began to teach by the sea.
A very large crowd gathered around him
so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down.
And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land.
And he taught them at length in parables,
and in the course of his instruction he said to them,
"Hear this! A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and the birds came and ate it up.
Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep.
And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it
and it produced no grain.
And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit.
It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."
He added, "Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear."
And when he was alone,
those present along with the Twelve
questioned him about the parables.
He answered them,
"The mystery of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you.
But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that
they may look and see but not perceive,
and hear and listen but not understand,
in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven."
Jesus said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?
Then how will you understand any of the parables?
The sower sows the word.
These are the ones on the path where the word is sown.
As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once
and takes away the word sown in them.
And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who,
when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy.
But they have no roots; they last only for a time.
Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
they quickly fall away.
Those sown among thorns are another sort.
They are the people who hear the word,
but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches,
and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word,
and it bears no fruit.
But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it
and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold."
A very large crowd gathered around him
so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down.
And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land.
And he taught them at length in parables,
and in the course of his instruction he said to them,
"Hear this! A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and the birds came and ate it up.
Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep.
And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it
and it produced no grain.
And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit.
It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."
He added, "Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear."
And when he was alone,
those present along with the Twelve
questioned him about the parables.
He answered them,
"The mystery of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you.
But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that
they may look and see but not perceive,
and hear and listen but not understand,
in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven."
Jesus said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?
Then how will you understand any of the parables?
The sower sows the word.
These are the ones on the path where the word is sown.
As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once
and takes away the word sown in them.
And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who,
when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy.
But they have no roots; they last only for a time.
Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
they quickly fall away.
Those sown among thorns are another sort.
They are the people who hear the word,
but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches,
and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word,
and it bears no fruit.
But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it
and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold."
Meditation: Jesus taught people using
parables
Why did Jesus speak to
people in parables? Like the rabbis of his time, Jesus used simple
word-pictures, called parables, to help people understand who God is and what
his kingdom or reign is like. Jesus used images and characters taken from
everyday life to create a miniature play or drama to illustrate his message.
This was Jesus' most common way of teaching. His stories appealed to the young
and old, poor and rich, and to the learned and unlearned as well. Over a third
of the Gospels by Matthew, Mark, and Luke contain parables told by Jesus.
Cyril of Alexandria (150-215 AD ), an early church
teacher, described the purpose of Jesus' parables:
"Parables are word pictures not of
visible things, but rather of things of the mind and the spirit. That which
cannot be seen with the eyes of the body, a parable will reveal to the eyes of
the mind, informing the subtlety of the intellect by means of things
perceivable by the senses, and as it were tangible." (COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 8.5.4)
Parable of the sower
What does the parable about seeds and roots say to us about the kingdom of God? Any farmer will attest to the importance of good soil for supplying nutrients for growth. And how does a plant get the necessary food and water it needs except by its roots? The Scriptures frequently use the image of fruit-bearing plants or trees to convey the principle of spiritual life and death. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit (Jeremiah 17:7-8; see also Psalm 1:3).
What does the parable about seeds and roots say to us about the kingdom of God? Any farmer will attest to the importance of good soil for supplying nutrients for growth. And how does a plant get the necessary food and water it needs except by its roots? The Scriptures frequently use the image of fruit-bearing plants or trees to convey the principle of spiritual life and death. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit (Jeremiah 17:7-8; see also Psalm 1:3).
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 what he or she doesn't
want to hear. Then there is the shallow hearer. He or she fails to think things
out or think them through; they lack depth. They may initially respond with an
emotional reaction; but when it wears off their mind wanders to something
else.
Another type of hearer is the person who has many
interests or cares, but who lacks the ability to hear or comprehend what is
truly important. Such a person is too busy to pray or too preoccupied to study
and meditate on God's word.
Then there is the one whose mind is open. Such a
person is at all times willing to listen and to learn. He or she is never too
proud or too busy to learn. They listen in order to understand. God gives grace
to those who hunger for his word that they may understand his will and have the
strength to live according to it. Do you hunger for God's word?
Secrets of the kingdom
Why does Jesus say that the secrets of the kingdom of God will be revealed to some while others will not be able to recognize nor understand the kingdom of God (Mark 4:11-12)? Origen (185-254 AD), an early church Bible scholar, comments on why Jesus makes a distinction between those who are ready to hear and understand his message with those who are not ready to hear nor understand:
Why does Jesus say that the secrets of the kingdom of God will be revealed to some while others will not be able to recognize nor understand the kingdom of God (Mark 4:11-12)? Origen (185-254 AD), an early church Bible scholar, comments on why Jesus makes a distinction between those who are ready to hear and understand his message with those who are not ready to hear nor understand:
"Sometimes it does not turn out to be
an advantage for one to be healed quickly or superficially, especially if the
disease by this means becomes even more shut up in the internal organs where it
rages more fiercely. Therefore God, who perceives secret things and who knows
all things before they come to be, in his great goodness delays the healing of
such persons and defers the remedy to a later time. If I may speak
paradoxically, God heals them by not healing them, lest a premature recovery of
health should render them incurable. This pertains to those whom our Lord and
Savior addressed as 'those outside,' whose hearts and reins he searches out.
Jesus covered up the deeper mysteries of the faith in veiled speech to those
who were not yet ready to receive his teaching in straightforward terms. The
Lord wanted to prevent the unready from being too speedily converted and only
cosmetically healed. If the forgiveness of their sins were too easily obtained,
they would soon fall again into the same disorder of sin which they imagined
could be cured without any difficulty." (ON FIRST PRINCIPLES 3.1.7)
The Lord Jesus will give
us perceiving eyes and listening ears to understand the message of his kingdom
if we approach him with faith and humility and the readiness to be taught. The
proud cannot see nor hear the truth of God's kingdom because they trust in
their own opinion and perception of what is true or real. They have shut their
minds to the supernatural truth of God and his word. Do you approach God's word
with trust and humility or with doubtful pride and skepticism?
"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".
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Why does this generation seek a sign, by
John Chrysostom (347-407 AD)
"As the sower fairly and indiscriminately
disperses seed broadly over all his field, so does God offer gifts to all,11
making no distinction between rich and poor, wise and foolish, lazy or diligent,
brave or cowardly. He addresses everyone, fulfilling his part, although knowing
the results beforehand... Why then, tell me, was so much of the seed lost? Not
through the sower, but through the ground that received it - meaning the soul
that did not listen... Even though more seed would be lost than survive, the
disciples were not to lose heart. For it is the way of the Lord never to stop
sowing the seed, even when he knows beforehand that some of it will not
respond. But how can it be reasonable, one asks, to sow among the thorns, or on
the rock, or alongside the road? Maybe it is not reasonable insofar as it
pertains only to seeds and earth, for the bare rock is not likely to turn into
tillable soil, and the roadside will remain roadside and the thorns, thorns.
But in the case of free wills and their reasonable instruction, this kind of
sowing is praiseworthy. For the rocky soul can in time turn into rich soil.
Among souls, the wayside may come no longer to be trampled by all that pass,
and may become a fertile field. The thorns may be destroyed and the seed enjoy
full growth. For had this not been impossible, this sower would not have sown.
And even if no change whatever occurs in the soul, this is no fault of the
sower, but of those who are unwilling to be changed. He has done his
part." (excerpt from GOSPEL OF ST.
MATTHEW, HOMILY 44.5.1)
WEDNESDAY,
JANUARY 24, MARK 4:1-20
(2 Samuel 7:4-17; Psalm 89)
(2 Samuel 7:4-17; Psalm 89)
KEY VERSE: "Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear" (v 23).
TO KNOW: Jesus regularly taught by means of parables but many people were unresponsive to his message. He cited the prophet Isaiah (Is 6: 9) to show that the reason why they did not get the point of his teachings was that their eyes, ears and hearts were closed to his revelation. Jesus admonished his disciples to listen carefully. God had blessed them abundantly through his teaching; therefore, much would be expected of them. Since they had been given the light of faith, they had the obligation to share their belief with others. Their faith must not be hidden, but must shine brightly like a lamp, which illuminated the whole household. Anyone who rejected the light of truth would continue to live in darkness.
TO LOVE: How have I been a source of light to others today?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, I pray that your light will shine through me in all that I do.
Memorial of Saint Francis de
Sales, bishop and doctor of the Church
Francis de Sales was born in Savoy near Annecy in 1567, shortly after the conclusion of the Council of Trent. He studied the law, but abandoned the prospect of a brilliant career, and was ordained to the priesthood in 1593. Francis was appointed bishop of Geneva, and spent the rest of his life reforming and reorganizing the diocese and in caring for the souls of his people by preaching and spiritual guidance. He became the spiritual director of Saint Jane de Chantal with whom he founded the nuns of the Visitation in 1610. In his most famous writings, the “Introduction to the Devout Life” (1609) and the “Treatise on the Love of God” (1616), Francis taught that that true holiness is not reserved for monks and hermits alone. We can all attain a devout and spiritual life no matter what our position in society. In this he anticipated the Second Vatican Council's teaching that all Christians are called to holiness (Lumen Gentium, chapter 4). Francis died at Lyons on December 28, 1622 and was canonized in 1665. He was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1877 and Patron of the Catholic Press in 1923.
Francis de Sales was born in Savoy near Annecy in 1567, shortly after the conclusion of the Council of Trent. He studied the law, but abandoned the prospect of a brilliant career, and was ordained to the priesthood in 1593. Francis was appointed bishop of Geneva, and spent the rest of his life reforming and reorganizing the diocese and in caring for the souls of his people by preaching and spiritual guidance. He became the spiritual director of Saint Jane de Chantal with whom he founded the nuns of the Visitation in 1610. In his most famous writings, the “Introduction to the Devout Life” (1609) and the “Treatise on the Love of God” (1616), Francis taught that that true holiness is not reserved for monks and hermits alone. We can all attain a devout and spiritual life no matter what our position in society. In this he anticipated the Second Vatican Council's teaching that all Christians are called to holiness (Lumen Gentium, chapter 4). Francis died at Lyons on December 28, 1622 and was canonized in 1665. He was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1877 and Patron of the Catholic Press in 1923.
Wednesday 24
January 2018
St Francis De Sales.
2 Samuel 7:4-17. Psalm 88(89):4-5, 27-30. Mark 4:1-20.
For ever I will keep my love for him—Psalm 88(89):4-5, 27-30.
How promptly do we claim credit for the good we do!
We work hard, we push ourselves to our limit, rejoice in success
and despair in failure. We learn, work on our weaknesses and become stronger,
succeed and swell in joy. Our tenacity and virtue achieve, and God’s grace and
blessing is quickly overlooked. Yet there are moments when we, like David, are
reminded that it was He who called us, before all our striving, before all our
battles; and it was He who brought us back to our feet after each failure. For
was not David nothing but a meek shepherd without the Lord’s blessing? And,
what is even the most fertile of soils if the hand of the sower does not visit
it first? Nothing but dust, barren and bleak.
Yet, humbling as it is, what hope this brings to the weak! The
promise that our dryness can bear fruit in plenty, and that our despair can
turn to faith.
Saint Francis de Sales
Saint of the Day for January 24
(August 21, 1567 – December 28, 1622)
Saint Francis de Sales’ Story
Francis was destined by his father to be a lawyer so that the
young man could eventually take his elder’s place as a senator from the
province of Savoy in France. For this reason Francis was sent to Padua to study
law. After receiving his doctorate, he returned home and, in due time, told his
parents he wished to enter the priesthood. His father strongly opposed Francis
in this, and only after much patient persuasiveness on the part of the gentle
Francis did his father finally consent. Francis was ordained and elected
provost of the Diocese of Geneva, then a center for the Calvinists. Francis set
out to convert them, especially in the district of Chablais. By preaching and
distributing the little pamphlets he wrote to explain true Catholic doctrine,
he had remarkable success.
At 35, he became bishop of Geneva. While administering his
diocese he continued to preach, hear confessions, and catechize the children.
His gentle character was a great asset in winning souls. He practiced his own
axiom, “A spoonful of honey attracts more flies than a barrelful of vinegar.”
Besides his two well-known books, the Introduction to
the Devout Life and A Treatise on the Love of God, he
wrote many pamphlets and carried on a vast correspondence. For his writings, he
has been named patron of the Catholic Press. His writings, filled with his
characteristic gentle spirit, are addressed to lay people. He wants to make
them understand that they too are called to be saints. As he wrote in The
Introduction to the Devout Life: “It is an error, or rather a heresy, to
say devotion is incompatible with the life of a soldier, a tradesman, a prince,
or a married woman…. It has happened that many have lost perfection in the
desert who had preserved it in the world. ”
In spite of his busy and comparatively short life, he had time
to collaborate with another saint, Jane Frances de Chantal, in the work of
establishing the Sisters of the Visitation. These women were to practice the
virtues exemplified in Mary’s visit to Elizabeth: humility, piety, and mutual
charity. They at first engaged to a limited degree in works of mercy for the
poor and the sick. Today, while some communities conduct schools, others live a
strictly contemplative life.
Reflection
Francis de Sales took seriously the words of Christ, “Learn of
me for I am meek and humble of heart.” As he said himself, it took him 20 years
to conquer his quick temper, but no one ever suspected he had such a problem,
so overflowing with good nature and kindness was his usual manner of acting.
His perennial meekness and sunny disposition won for him the title of
“Gentleman Saint.”
Saint Francis de Sales is the Patron Saint of:
Authors
Deafness
Journalists
Writers
Deafness
Journalists
Writers
LECTIO DIVINA: MARK 4,1-20
Lectio Divina:
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
All-powerful and ever-living God,
direct Your love that is within us,
that our efforts in the name of Your Son
may bring the human race to unity and peace.
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.
direct Your love that is within us,
that our efforts in the name of Your Son
may bring the human race to unity and peace.
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 - Mark 4:1-20
On another occasion, Jesus began
to teach by the sea. A very large crowd gathered around him so that he got into
a boat on the sea and sat down. And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land.
And he taught them at length in parables, and in the course of his instruction
he said to them, "Hear this! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed,
some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell
on rocky ground where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil
was not deep. And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack
of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it and
it produced no grain. And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit. It
came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold." He added,
"Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear." And when he was alone, those
present along with the Twelve questioned him about the parables. He answered
them, "The mystery of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you. But to
those outside everything comes in parables, so that they may look and see but
not perceive, and hear and listen but not understand, in order that they may
not be converted and be forgiven." Jesus said to them, "Do you not
understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables? The
sower sows the word. These are the ones on the path where the word is sown. As
soon as they hear, Satan comes at once and takes away the word sown in them.
And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who, when they hear the word,
receive it at once with joy. But they have no roots; they last only for a time.
Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly
fall away. Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who
hear the word, but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for
other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. But those sown
on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty
and sixty and a hundredfold."
3) Reflection
• Sitting in the boat, Jesus taught the
crowds. In these verses, Mark describes the way in which Jesus teaches the
crowd: on the seaside, sitting in the boat, with many people around listening
to Him. Jesus was not a cultured person (Jn 7:15). He had not frequented the
superior school of Jerusalem. He had come from the country side, from Nazareth.
He was someone who was unknown. He was a craftsman and a country man. Without
asking permission from the authorities, He began to teach the people. He spoke
in a very different way. People liked to listen to Him.
• Jesus helped people perceive the mysterious presence of the Kingdom in the things of life by means of parables. A parable is a comparison. He uses the known and visible things of life to explain the invisible and unknown things of the Kingdom of God. For example, the people from Galilee understood when He spoke of seeds, soil, rain, the sun, salt, flowers, fish, harvest, etc. His parable uses these things which were known to the people to explain the mysteries of the Kingdom.
• The parable of the sower is a picture of the life of the farmer. At that time it was not easy to get a livelihood from agriculture. The land was full of stones. There were many bushes, little rain and much sun. Many times people, in order to take a shortcut, 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.
• He who has ears to listen, let him listen! Jesus begins the parable saying, “Listen!” (Mk 4:3). Now, at the end, He says, “He who has ears to listen, let him listen!” The way to understand the parable is by listening and thinking, “trying to understand!” The parable does not give us everything ready made, but induces those who listen to think and discover, based on the lived experience that they have of the seed. It induces creativity and participation. It is not a doctrine that arrives ready made to be taught and decorated. The parable does not give bottled water, but rather, leads one to the fountain or source. The farmer who listens, says, “Seed in the ground, I know what that is!” But Jesus says that this has something to do with the Kingdom of God. What would this be? One can already guess the long conversations of the crowd. The parable affects the people and moves them to listen to nature and to think about life.
• Jesus explains the parable to His disciples. At home, alone with Jesus, the disciples want to know the meaning of the parable. They do not understand it. Jesus is surprised at their ignorance (Mk 4:13) and responds with a difficult and mysterious phrase. He tells His disciples, “To you is granted the secret of the Kingdom of God; but to those who are outside everything comes in parables, so that they may look and not perceive, listen but not understand, to avoid changing their ways and being healed!” This phrase leads people to ask themselves “then what good is the parable? To clarify or to hide?” Perhaps Jesus uses parables in order for people to continue to live in ignorance and not reach conversion? Certainly not! Because at another point Mark says that Jesus used parables “according to what they could understand” (Mk 4:33).
• The parable reveals and hides at the same time! It reveals to “those who are inside,” who accept Jesus, the Messiah, the Servant. It hides for those who insist on considering Him the glorious king. They understand the images of the parable, but they do not grasp the significance.
• The explanation of the parable in its different parts. One after another, Jesus explains the parts of the parable, seed and soil, up to the harvest time. Some scholars hold that this explanation was added later and would have been given to some communities. This is quite possible, because in the bud of the parable there is already the flower of the explanation. Bud and flower, both have the same origin which is Jesus. For this reason, we can continue to reflect and discover other beautiful things in the parable. Once a person asked in community, “Jesus has said that we should be salt. For what does salt serve?” This was discussed and at the end more than ten different purposes for salt were discovered! These meanings were applied to the life of the community and it was discovered that to be salt is something difficult and demanding. The parable functioned! Salt not only has uses, but in Jesus' time it had high value. The Romans used it as money and in the difficult hot climate it was needed by the human body to survive. Salt was valuable and gave life! The same for the seed. Everybody has some experience of the seed.
• Jesus helped people perceive the mysterious presence of the Kingdom in the things of life by means of parables. A parable is a comparison. He uses the known and visible things of life to explain the invisible and unknown things of the Kingdom of God. For example, the people from Galilee understood when He spoke of seeds, soil, rain, the sun, salt, flowers, fish, harvest, etc. His parable uses these things which were known to the people to explain the mysteries of the Kingdom.
• The parable of the sower is a picture of the life of the farmer. At that time it was not easy to get a livelihood from agriculture. The land was full of stones. There were many bushes, little rain and much sun. Many times people, in order to take a shortcut, 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.
• He who has ears to listen, let him listen! Jesus begins the parable saying, “Listen!” (Mk 4:3). Now, at the end, He says, “He who has ears to listen, let him listen!” The way to understand the parable is by listening and thinking, “trying to understand!” The parable does not give us everything ready made, but induces those who listen to think and discover, based on the lived experience that they have of the seed. It induces creativity and participation. It is not a doctrine that arrives ready made to be taught and decorated. The parable does not give bottled water, but rather, leads one to the fountain or source. The farmer who listens, says, “Seed in the ground, I know what that is!” But Jesus says that this has something to do with the Kingdom of God. What would this be? One can already guess the long conversations of the crowd. The parable affects the people and moves them to listen to nature and to think about life.
• Jesus explains the parable to His disciples. At home, alone with Jesus, the disciples want to know the meaning of the parable. They do not understand it. Jesus is surprised at their ignorance (Mk 4:13) and responds with a difficult and mysterious phrase. He tells His disciples, “To you is granted the secret of the Kingdom of God; but to those who are outside everything comes in parables, so that they may look and not perceive, listen but not understand, to avoid changing their ways and being healed!” This phrase leads people to ask themselves “then what good is the parable? To clarify or to hide?” Perhaps Jesus uses parables in order for people to continue to live in ignorance and not reach conversion? Certainly not! Because at another point Mark says that Jesus used parables “according to what they could understand” (Mk 4:33).
• The parable reveals and hides at the same time! It reveals to “those who are inside,” who accept Jesus, the Messiah, the Servant. It hides for those who insist on considering Him the glorious king. They understand the images of the parable, but they do not grasp the significance.
• The explanation of the parable in its different parts. One after another, Jesus explains the parts of the parable, seed and soil, up to the harvest time. Some scholars hold that this explanation was added later and would have been given to some communities. This is quite possible, because in the bud of the parable there is already the flower of the explanation. Bud and flower, both have the same origin which is Jesus. For this reason, we can continue to reflect and discover other beautiful things in the parable. Once a person asked in community, “Jesus has said that we should be salt. For what does salt serve?” This was discussed and at the end more than ten different purposes for salt were discovered! These meanings were applied to the life of the community and it was discovered that to be salt is something difficult and demanding. The parable functioned! Salt not only has uses, but in Jesus' time it had high value. The Romans used it as money and in the difficult hot climate it was needed by the human body to survive. Salt was valuable and gave life! The same for the seed. Everybody has some experience of the seed.
4) Personal questions
• What experience do you have with
seeds? How does this help you understand the Good News better?
• What type of soil are you?
• What type of soil are you?
5) Concluding prayer
Fix your gaze on Yahweh
and your face will grow bright,
you will never hang your head in shame. (Ps 34:5)
and your face will grow bright,
you will never hang your head in shame. (Ps 34:5)
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