July 12, 2026
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 103
Reading 1
Thus says the LORD:
Just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
and do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
so shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
my word shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (Lk 8:8) The seed that falls on good ground will
yield a fruitful harvest.
You have visited the land and watered it;
greatly have you enriched it.
God's watercourses are filled;
you have prepared the grain.
R. The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.
Thus have you prepared the land: drenching its furrows,
breaking up its clods,
Softening it with showers,
blessing its yield.
R. The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.
You have crowned the year with your bounty,
and your paths overflow with a rich harvest;
The untilled meadows overflow with it,
and rejoicing clothes the hills.
R. The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.
The fields are garmented with flocks
and the valleys blanketed with grain.
They shout and sing for joy.
R. The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.
Reading 2
Brothers and sisters:
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing
compared with the glory to be revealed for us.
For creation awaits with eager expectation
the revelation of the children of God;
for creation was made subject to futility,
not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it,
in hope that creation itself
would be set free from slavery to corruption
and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God.
We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now;
and not only that, but we ourselves,
who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,
we also groan within ourselves
as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower.
All who come to him will have life forever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the
sea.
Such large crowds gathered around him
that he got into a boat and sat down,
and the whole crowd stood along the shore.
And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:
“A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and birds came and ate it up.
Some 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.
But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit,
a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
The disciples approached him and said,
“Why do you speak to them in parables?”
He said to them in reply,
“Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven
has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.
To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich;
from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
This is why I speak to them in parables, because
they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.
Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:
You shall indeed hear but not understand,
you shall indeed look but never see.
Gross is the heart of this people,
they will hardly hear with their ears,
they have closed their eyes,
lest they see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts and be converted,
and I heal them.
“But blessed are your eyes, because they see,
and your ears, because they hear.
Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people
longed to see what you see but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
"Hear then the parable of the sower.
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.
The seed sown on rocky ground
is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.
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.
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.
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.”
or
On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the
sea.
Such large crowds gathered around him
that he got into a boat and sat down,
and the whole crowd stood along the shore.
And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:
"A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and birds came and ate it up.
Some 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.
But some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit,
a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
Whoever has ears ought to hear."
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/071226.cfm
Commentary on Isaiah
55:10-11; Romans 8:18-23; Matthew 13:1-23
There are three distinct parts in today’s Gospel: parable,
interlude, and explanation of the parable. A way of looking at this division is
to regard the parable as being close to the actual words of Jesus. This is
followed by a theological ‘interlude’ on ‘hearing’, and finally there is an
interpretation of the parable possibly emanating from the early Church and, in
effect, producing a related but distinct lesson or message.
In the parable itself, the emphasis is on God (the sower)
who works and produces results. The interpretation of the parable puts the
emphasis more on us (the soil) and the ways in which we can respond. The
interlude, or comment in between, gives the key to our response and
subsequent fertility of the seed.
God’s munificence
The parable has strong links with the First Reading from Isaiah. In both we are
told that God shares his abundance with us and his plans will not be
frustrated. God’s creative and nurturing work is compared with rain and snow
falling on the earth and not returning until it has given moisture,
…making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater…
In the parable, it is true that the seed falls many times on
inhospitable soil, but some will undoubtedly fall on rich soil and produce an
abundant harvest. Says the Lord in Isaiah:
…so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose
and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
This is clearly a message of hope for communities which may
at times be discouraged by the meagre results of their evangelisation efforts.
We are reading here from Matthew 13. The whole chapter consists of “parables of
the Kingdom”. They all say in different ways that the Kingdom of God, in spite
of its tiny and weak beginnings, will be established, for it is “like a
treasure hidden in a field” or “a pearl of great value”. Once discovered, all
else is given up in order to be part of it.
In the whole of Scripture, God’s word is not just a spoken
word. It is a ‘doing word’—a creating, life-giving word. It is like a
life-bearing seed. Where do we encounter that word? If we are sufficiently
sensitive, we encounter it unceasingly in every experience of our lives,
whether that experience is joyful or sad, a success or a failure, pleasant or
painful.
For us, there is one place in particular where God’s word is
more clearly experienced, and that is in Jesus Christ—for Jesus is the Word of
God. Everything that Jesus said, everything that Jesus did, was God
communicating to us through him. Not just his teaching, but his whole
life, from the hidden years of Nazareth through his public life to his death
and resurrection—in all of this Jesus was, and is for us today, the Word of
God.
Barren soil
And yet, as in the parable of today’s Gospel, much of that Word fell on barren
soil. Many refused to hear or to see (hence so many cases of deafness and
blindness in the Gospels). Even Jesus’ closest disciples did not provide, at
first, very promising soil. Jesus’ life and mission seemed to end in tragic and
dismal failure. There was not a single disciple in sight. His enemies laughed
and mocked him. And yet, it was precisely at the moment when the seed “falls
into the earth and dies” (see John 12:24), that the Word of God began to take
root in people’s hearts. At that moment, like the tiny mustard seed, like the
small amount of yeast in a large batch of dough, the seed—the Word of God—began
to grow and flourish against all odds. As Isaiah says in the first reading:
…so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose
and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
As with Jesus himself, so too is it with us today—we need to
be reminded that God’s plans will not be frustrated, that the Kingdom will be
established.
Let anyone with ears listen!! (Matt 11:15)
Why speak in parables?
The middle part of the Gospel reading contains some apparently alarming words.
Is Jesus saying that he spoke in parables so that only his inner circle would
understand and that the rest be left in darkness? That hardly makes sense. It
does provide a bridge to the interpretation of the parable to follow. There
seems, especially in the quotation from Isaiah, a heavy sarcasm. Those who see,
but never understand; those who hear, but never get the message. Why? Not
because they are stupid, but because they basically do not want to. If they
saw, if they really heard, they might be converted—they might have to change
their ways radically—and that is the last thing they want to do. In the context
of Matthew’s Gospel, these words seem particularly directed at those of his
people who rejected Jesus, but it applies to all who close their ears in
prejudice and fear.
But to his disciples and followers Jesus says:
But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears,
for they hear.
Many before Jesus’ time longed to see and hear, but never
had the privilege of Jesus’ followers. The key word today is ‘hear’. It is a
very scriptural word and contains essentially four elements:
- to
listen with a totally open and unconditional mind;
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
- to
understand what one hears;
- to
accept and appropriate fully what one understands;
- to
have this acceptance flow out into our behaviour.
One can listen, but not understand; one can understand
without accepting; and one can accept without implementing. All four are
necessary for conversion and healing. All four are necessary for true hearing.
Different responses
All of this leads naturally into the third part: an interpretation of the
parable on the level of different kinds of hearing. Some seed falls on the
path. There is no soil there. There is no prospect of the seed taking root.
Ears and eyes are closed and unreceptive to the Word of God.
Other seed falls on rocky ground in the field where there is
a thin layer of soil. The seed takes root and begins to grow, but soon gets
burnt up by lack of water and the heat of the sun. It is like those Christians
who, after baptism or after a retreat or some spiritual experience, have a
great rush of enthusiasm for God, but under the slightest pressure, soon run
out of steam and fall away. Probably there was no real hearing, no real
understanding and hence no real commitment. This group, in the text of the
Gospel, may be referring to people who became baptised Christians in the early
Church, and were full of enthusiasm until faced with persecution for their
faith. They caved in and gave up.
Some seed also falls on soil where there are many weeds and
thorns. As it grows, it gets smothered by the competing plants. This we might
call the ‘having your cake and eating it’ response. I do want to be a good
Christian, but I also want to have all the things that the world around me thinks
important, even if they are in conflict with the gospel vision. This won’t
work. We cannot at the same time totally serve God and be a part of the
materialistic, consumerist, hedonistic, success-hungry world. Probably a very
large number of us, in varying degrees, belong in this category. As a result,
the Church’s work in building the Kingdom is severely hampered.
Finally, some of the seed falls in rich, nutritious soil.
This soil is like the:
…one who hears the word and understands it [i.e.
the Word of God]
He is the one “who indeed bears fruit” in varying degrees of
abundance.
What is my response?
In the long run, as we said at the beginning, the work of God cannot be
frustrated either by threats from society or from within the Christian
community. But what matters for me as I hear this Scripture is to be aware that
I, as this individual, can refuse to provide the fertile patch of soil for
God’s Word to take deep root. God’s plan as a whole will succeed, but it is up
to me to be part of that plan. I personally can say ‘no’ or
‘not yet’ or ‘yes’, but I can also, like many of the people that Jesus knew,
resist the radical change of view that conversion entails. In the process I
will also miss out, of course, on the deep healing that the Word of God can bring
into my life and, with the healing, a sense of liberation, happiness and peace.
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https://livingspace.sacredspace.ie/oa151/
Sunday, July 12,
2026
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Opening Prayer
Prayer is also the willingness to listen; it is the suitable
time for meeting with God. Today, the Sunday of the ‘sower,’ we would like to
open our hearts to listen to the word of Jesus using the words of St. John
Chrysostom that we too may become docile and willing listeners of the saving
Word: «Grant, Lord, that I may listen
attentively and remember constantly your teaching, that I may put it into
practice forcefully and courageously, despising riches and avoiding the worries
of a worldly life… Grant me your strength and that I may meditate on your words
putting down deep roots and purifying me of all worldly perils» (St. John
Chrysostom, A Commentary on the Gospel according to Matthew 44: 3-4).
Gospel Reading - Matthew 13: 1-23
The Context:
Matthew places the parable of the seed along
with the events of the preceding chapters 11 and 12 where he mentions the
kingdom of God that suffers violence. The theme of our parable, as also of the
whole of the discourse in parables in chapter 13, is the kingdom of God.
The “house” whence Jesus leaves is the house
where he lived in Capharnaum and where he is once more with his disciples (v.
1: That same day, Jesus left the house)
and his leaving is connected with the going out of the sower (v. 3: a sower went out to sow). His “leaving”
has as its physical or concrete berth the shore of the lake (v.1: he got into a boat and sat there); this
moment recalls the time when Jesus had called his disciples (4: 18), but, the
sea is a place of passage to the pagan peoples, thus, it represents the border
between Israel and the pagan world. The background of the discourse in parables
is, then, the lake of Genesareth, called a “sea” according to the people. His
leaving attracts the crowds. And while Jesus is sitting by the shore of the
sea, he is surprised by the crowds coming to him, and is obliged to get into a
boat. This boat becomes the chair of his teaching. Jesus turns to his listeners
and “told them many things in parables” that is in a manner different from
teaching or proclaiming. The Text:
1 That same day, Jesus left the house
and sat by the lakeside, 2 but such large crowds gathered round him that he got
into a boat and sat there. The people all stood on the shore, 3 and he told
them many things in parables. He said, 'Listen, a sower went out to sow. 4 As
he sowed, some seeds fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate
them up. 5 Others fell on patches of rock where they found little soil and
sprang up at once, because there was no depth of earth; 6 but as soon as the
sun came up they were scorched and, not having any roots, they withered away. 7
Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Others fell
on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some
thirty. 9 Anyone who has ears should listen!' 10 Then the disciples went up to
him and asked, 'Why do you talk to them in parables?' 11 In answer, he said,
'Because to you is granted to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of
Heaven, but to them it is not granted. 12 Anyone who has will be given more and
will have more than enough; but anyone who has not will be deprived even of
what he has. 13 The reason I talk to them in parables is that they look without
seeing and listen without hearing or understanding. 14 So in their case what
was spoken by the prophet Isaiah is being fulfilled: Listen and listen but
never understand! Look and look, but never perceive! 15 This people's heart has
grown coarse, their ears dulled, they have shut their eyes tight to avoid using
their eyes to see, their ears to hear, their heart to understand, changing
their ways and being healed by me. 16 'But blessed are your eyes because they
see, your ears because they hear! 17 In truth I tell you, many prophets and
upright people longed to see what you see and never saw it; to hear what you
hear, and never heard it.
18 'So pay attention to the parable of the sower. 19 When
anyone hears the word of the kingdom without understanding, the Evil One comes
and carries off what was sown in his heart: this is the seed sown on the edge
of the path. 20 The seed sown on patches of rock is someone who hears the word
and welcomes it at once with joy. 21 But such a person has no root deep down
and does not last; should some trial come, or some persecution on account of
the word, at once he falls away. 22 The seed sown in thorns is someone who
hears the word, but the worry of the world and the lure of riches choke the
word and so it produces nothing. 23 And the seed sown in rich soil is someone
who hears the word and understands it; this is the one who yields a harvest and
produces now a hundredfold, now sixty, now thirty.'
A Moment of Prayerful Silence
In our busy way of acting, which leads to
exterior concerns, we feel the need to stop and calm down in silence… at such a
time we become receptive of the fire of the Word…
Interpreting the Text
The Action of the Sower:
The parable speaks of a sower, not
of a peasant, and his activity is marked by the contrast between the loss of
the seeds (13: 4-7) and the abundant fruit (13: 8). Furthermore, we need to
note the difference between the wealth of the description of those who lose the
seeds and the concise form of the abundant fruit. But the number of failed and
disappointing experiences represented by the various forms of loss of seeds (on the edge of the path…on patches of rock...
among thorns...) is contrasted with
the great harvest that makes us forget the negative experiences of the losses.
Again, in the parable there is the time difference between the initial phase of
the sowing and the end phase which coincides with the fruit of the harvest. If
in the various attempts at sowing there is no fruit, such lack brings to mind
the Kingdom of God at the time of the great harvest. Jesus, the sower, sows the
word of the kingdom (13,19) which makes present the lordship of God over the
world, over people and that bears the final fruit. The parable has such
persuasive force as to bring the listener to trust in the works of Jesus,
which, while marked by failure or disappointment, will finally succeed.
Apart, Jesus Communicates to the Disciples the Reason for Speaking in
Parables (13: 10-17):
After telling the parable and before his
explanation (13: 18-23) the disciples go up to Jesus (the verb “to go up to”
expresses the intimate relationship with Jesus) and put an explicit question to
him, they cannot see why Jesus speaks to the crowds in parables (v. 10: Why do you talk to them in parables?).
The reply to their question is in v. 13: «...The reason I talk to them in parables is that they look without seeing
and listen without hearing or understanding». It is as if to say: the
crowds neither perceive nor understand. Jesus does not mean to force them to
understand. Indeed until now Jesus has spoken and acted clearly, but the crowds
have not understood; but, as the time has come for him to go on revealing his
message in all its radical nature – namely understanding – he has recourse to
the language of parables, which although more obscure may stimulate the crowds
to think more, to reflect on the obstacles that prevent their understanding of
the teachings of Jesus. This seems like a repetition of the times of Isaiah,
when the people were closed to the message of God (Is 6: 9-10), and as such a
situation of refusal foreseen by biblical tradition repeats itself in the
crowds that “see-listen” but do not understand.
Compared to the crowd, the
disciples hold a privileged position (13: 11). Jesus shows this in the first
part of his reply when he distinguishes between those included and those
excluded from knowing the kingdom. The knowledge of the mysteries of God – that
is God’s plan – is possible through the intervention of God and not through
one’s own human efforts. The disciples are presented as those who understand
Jesus’ parable not because they are more intelligent, but because it is he
himself who explains his words to them.
The lack of understanding on the part of the crowds is the
cause of his speaking in parables: they do not understand Jesus, thus they show
clearly their obstinate incomprehension or better their inability to discern.
The disciples, on the other hand, are declared blessed because they can see and listen. The Explanation of the Parable (13: 18-23):
After Jesus expressed his reasons
for speaking in parables, he showed the fate of the word of the Kingdom in each
of his listeners. Although there are four kinds of soil listed, there are only
two types of listeners compared: those who listen to the Word and do not
understand it (13: 19) and those who listen to the Word and understand (13: 23).
It is interesting to note that Matthew, in contrast with Mark, tells the story
in the singular. It is the personal commitment that is the benchmark of real
listening and true understanding. The first category of listeners shows that
they listen to the Word (19), but do not understand it. Understanding the Word
here is not to be understood on the intellectual level but on the wisdom level.
It is necessary to enter into its deep and saving meaning. In the second (13:
20-21) the Word is heard and welcomed with joy. Such a welcome (lack of roots)
becomes unstable when the initial enthusiasm wears out, perhaps because of
experiences of suffering and persecution inevitable in every journey of
faithful listening to God.
The third possibility evokes material preoccupations that can
choke the Word
(13: 22). Finally, the positive result: the seed lost
in the threefold soil is compensated by the fruitful result. Briefly, the
parable brings out three aspects of the act of active and persevering faith:
listening, understanding and bearing fruit.
Meditation for Ecclesial Practice
•
What can the parable say to the Church of today?
Which soil does our ecclesial community represent? On the personal level, what
interior availability and understanding do we manifest in our listening of the
Word?
•
Is it not true that the dangers Jesus pointed
out to his disciples concerning the welcoming of the Word are relevant to us
too? For instance, fickleness before difficulties, negligence, anxiety for the
future, daily worries?
•
The disciples were capable of asking Jesus, of
questioning him about their worries and difficulties. On your journey of faith
to the Word of God, to whom
do you address your questions? The
replies that Jesus communicates to us in our intimate and personal relationship
with him, depend on the sort of question we ask.
•
The figure of the sower recalls that of the
Church in its commitment to evangelization: to know how to communicate in a new
way the person of Jesus and the values of the Gospel. The Church has to stand
out for the authoritative character of its teaching, for its outspokenness and
for the force of its actions. Today we need to be confident, eager and tireless
evangelizers. Every ecclesial community is urged by the parable of the sower
not to be selective of persons or social contexts for the proclamation of the
Gospel; we must have a broad vision and dedicate ourselves, even in what seem
to be impossible situations, to communicating the Gospel. Every pastoral action
of evangelization experiences a first moment of ephemeral enthusiasm, which,
however, may be followed by a cold reaction and opposition. Pastoral attempts
are comparable to the threefold attempt of the sower, in the end they are
rewarded by the threefold harvest. It is certain that the word of Jesus buds
and bears fruit in hearts open to his action, but we must not cease from
shaking our sluggishness, our indecision and the hardness of hearing of many
believers.
Psalm 65 (64)
You visit the earth and make it
fruitful, you fill it with riches; the river of God brims over with water, you
provide the grain. To that end you water its furrows abundantly, level its
ridges, soften it with showers and bless its shoots. You crown the year with
your generosity, richness seeps from your tracks,
the pastures of the desert grow moist,
the hillsides are wrapped in joy, the meadows are covered with flocks, the valleys clothed with wheat; they shout
and sing for joy.
Closing Prayer
Lord, your parable of the sower concerns each one of us, the
ways of our lives, the hardness of daily life, the difficulties and the moments
of softness that are part of our interior scene. We are all, from time to time,
sometimes path, rocks and thorns; but also good, fertile soil. Deliver us from
the temptation of negative forces that try to eliminate the force of your Word.
Strengthen our will when passing and changing emotions render the seduction of
your Word less efficacious. Help us to keep the joy that our meeting with your
Word creates in our hearts. Strengthen our hearts so that in times of
tribulation we may not feel defenseless and thus exposed to discouragement.
Grant us the strength to stand up to the obstacles we place to your Word when
the worries of the world come or when we are deceived by the mirage of money,
seduced by pleasure or by the vanity of appearances. Make us good soil,
welcoming persons, capable of rendering our service to your Word. Amen!
