Wednesday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 397
Lectionary: 397
The words of
Jeremiah, son of Hilkiah,
of a priestly family in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin.
The word of the LORD came to me thus:
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I dedicated you,
a prophet to the nations I appointed you.
“Ah, Lord GOD!” I said,
"I know not how to speak; I am too young.”
But the LORD answered me,
Say not, “I am too young.”
To whomever I send you, you shall go;
whatever I command you, you shall speak.
Have no fear before them,
because I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.
Then the LORD extended his hand and touched my mouth, saying,
See, I place my words in your mouth!
This day I set you
over nations and over kingdoms,
To root up and to tear down,
to destroy and to demolish,
to build and to plant.
of a priestly family in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin.
The word of the LORD came to me thus:
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I dedicated you,
a prophet to the nations I appointed you.
“Ah, Lord GOD!” I said,
"I know not how to speak; I am too young.”
But the LORD answered me,
Say not, “I am too young.”
To whomever I send you, you shall go;
whatever I command you, you shall speak.
Have no fear before them,
because I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.
Then the LORD extended his hand and touched my mouth, saying,
See, I place my words in your mouth!
This day I set you
over nations and over kingdoms,
To root up and to tear down,
to destroy and to demolish,
to build and to plant.
Responsorial Psalm PS 71:1-2, 3-4A, 5-6AB, 15 AND 17
R. (see 15ab) I will sing of your salvation.
In you, O LORD, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me, and deliver me;
incline your ear to me, and save me.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
For you are my hope, O Lord;
my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
from my mother’s womb you are my strength.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
My mouth shall declare your justice,
day by day your salvation.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
In you, O LORD, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me, and deliver me;
incline your ear to me, and save me.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
For you are my hope, O Lord;
my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
from my mother’s womb you are my strength.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
My mouth shall declare your justice,
day by day your salvation.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
Gospel MT 13:1-9
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.”
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.”
Meditation: "Since they had no root they
withered away"
Are you hungry for God's word? Matthew tells us that Jesus
taught many things to those who came to listen and learn. Jesus' teaching
method was a very simple one. He used parables - short stories and images taken
from everyday life to convey hidden truths about the kingdom of God. Like a
skillful artist, Jesus painted evocative pictures with short and simple words.
A good image can speak more loudly and clearly than many words. Jesus used the
ordinary everyday images of life and nature to point to another order of
reality - hidden, yet visible to those who had "eyes to see" and
"ears to hear". Jesus communicated with pictures and stories, vivid
illustrations which captured the imaginations of his audience more powerfully
than an abstract presentation could. His parables are like buried treasure
waiting to be discovered (Matthew
13:44).
Sowing seeds that take root and grow
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).
The shut mind and prejudiced hearer
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.
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.
Too busy and preoccupied to listen
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 for ever too busy to pray or too preoccupied to study and meditate on God's word. He or she may work so hard that they are too tired to even think of anything else but their work. 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?
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 for ever too busy to pray or too preoccupied to study and meditate on God's word. He or she may work so hard that they are too tired to even think of anything else but their work. 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?
"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."
 A Hundred or Sixty or Thirty-Fold |
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July 23, 2014, Wednesday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary
Time
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Matthew 13:1-9
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 thirty
fold. Whoever has ears ought to hear."
Introductory Prayer: Lord, my prayer will “work” only if I have humility in
your presence. So I am approaching you with meekness and humility of heart. I
have an infinite need for you and your grace. Thinking about this helps me
grow in humility. I trust in you and your grace. Thank you for the
unfathomable gift of your love.
Petition: Lord, may I always respond to your grace in my heart
with fervor and active love.
1. Tears of a Sower: Imagine Jesus preaching to the crowds, hoping for a
positive response, but instead witnessing many people turning a deaf ear to
his message of salvation. One day he is thinking about this as he watches a
farmer sowing seed. He sees birds come immediately and take some away. He
sees previously sown seed scorched by the sun. He sees some sprouts strangled
by weeds. He then remembers the faces and perhaps even the names of people who
heard his message, but who chose not to respond or whose response was
short-lived. We are reminded of another Gospel passage: “As he drew near
Jerusalem, he saw the city and wept over it, saying ‘If this day you only
knew what makes for peace -- but now it is hidden from your eyes’” (Luke
19:41).
2. Rebellion or Rest: The admonition to heed the word of God is frequent in
Scripture. In the Book of Hebrews the author warns us to “harden not your
hearts as at the rebellion in the day of testing in the desert.” The people
of Israel responded in this unfortunate way after the exodus from Egypt.
“They have always been of erring heart, and they do not know my ways. As I
swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter into my rest’” (Cf. Hebrews 3:
7-11). This helps us foster a healthy fear of the Lord, encouraging us to
work hard to conquer all hardness of heart and remain close to Christ so as
to enter into his rest.
3. Fruits of Virtue: “But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a
hundred or sixty or thirty-fold.” The fruit that Our Lord wishes us to
produce are virtues inspired by faith, hope and love. If we are growing in
virtue each day in imitation of Christ and for love of him, we can be sure we
are heeding his voice and are pleasing in his eyes. The greatest of all
virtues is charity, a practical and effective love for our neighbor. We can
contemplate the lives of the saints to see how these fruits are played out in
a way truly pleasing to Christ.
Conversation with Christ: Lord, you know how easy it is for me
to allow mediocrity to slip into my life. The cares and worries of life often
push you and your kingdom to a secondary plane. Grant me the habit of carving
out time for you in prayer each day, and carving out space for you in my life
and the lives of those under my care.
Resolution: I will renew my effort with whatever prayer commitment I
have allowed to waver or falter the most.
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WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, MATTHEW 13:1-9
(Jeremiah 1:1, 4-10; Psalm 71)
(Jeremiah 1:1, 4-10; Psalm 71)
KEY VERSE: "But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold" (v 8).
READING: Chapter 13 of Matthew's gospel is Jesus' third sermon, consisting almost entirely of parables (Hebrew, mashal). Jesus' parables were primarily stories that invited the hearer to search for the meaning of Christian truths he was teaching and put them into action. In the parable of the sower, Jesus referred to the planting methods employed in Palestine of his day. Since the seed was sown on rocky and unproductive soil, a great deal of the farmer's efforts were wasted and the crop was only moderately successful. Jesus compared this to his task of proclaiming God's word. Although it was arduous work, Jesus' followers were privileged to have heard his words. They were the "rich soil" that would produce abundant fruit. He encouraged them to persevere in their task no matter how many accepted their message or rewarded them for their labor.
REFLECTING: Do I persist in proclaiming the gospel when I am discouraged?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, open my ears to your revealed truth.
Optional Memorial of
Bridget of Sweden, religious
Bridget began receiving visions, mostly of the Crucifixion, at age seven. In 1316, at age thirteen, she wed Prince Ulfo of Nercia in an arranged marriage. She was the mother of eight children including St. Catherine of Sweden. After Ulfo's death in 1344 she pursued a religious life, for which she was harassed by others at the court. She eventually renounced her title of princess. Bridget founded the Order of the Most Holy Savior (Bridgettines) at Vadstena in 1346. It received confirmation by Pope Urban V in 1370, and survives today. She chastened and counseled kings and Popes Clement VI, Urban VI, and Gregory XI, urging them to return to Rome from Avignon. She encouraged all to meditate on Jesus Crucified. Bridget recorded the revelations given in her visions, and these became hugely popular in the Middle Ages.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
Prayer and Contemplation
In prayer we discover what we already have. You start where you
are and you deepen what you already have and you realize that you are already
there. We already have everything, but we don’t know it and we don’t experience
it.
I will sing of your salvation
How many words have been dropped into our minds and hearts over
our lifetime?And how many of them have taken root? The ones that nourish us most are the words of God, but we are often bombarded with words drawing us away from God, making it hard to hear the quiet voice within. The seed Jesus spoke of grew in the quiet of the outdoors, nourished by the rain, warmed by the sun and cared for by the farmer. His word, too, can grow in us, nourished by compassionate communities, warmed by the sacraments and encouraged by sharing our faith. This word comforts, guides, inspires and challenges us in turn, but will not grow to its full potential unless we till the soil. Lord, soften our hearts, so that this precious seed bears fruit in our lives and in the lives of those with whom we live.
July
23
St. Bridget
(1303?-1373)
St. Bridget
(1303?-1373)
From age seven on, Bridget had visions of Christ crucified. Her
visions formed the basis for her activity—always with the emphasis on charity
rather than spiritual favors.
She lived
her married life in the court of the Swedish king Magnus II. Mother of eight
children (the second eldest was St. Catherine of Sweden), she lived the strict
life of a penitent after her husband’s death.
Bridget
constantly strove to exert her good influence over Magnus; while never fully
reforming, he did give her land and buildings to found a monastery for men and
women. This group eventually expanded into an Order known as the Bridgetines
(still in existence).
In 1350,
a year of jubilee, Bridget braved a plague-stricken Europe to make a pilgrimage
to Rome. Although she never returned to Sweden, her years in Rome were far from
happy, being hounded by debts and by opposition to her work against Church
abuses.
A final
pilgrimage to the Holy Land, marred by shipwreck and the death of her son,
Charles, eventually led to her death in 1373. In 1999, she, Saints Catherine of
Siena (April 29) and Teresa Benedicts of the Cross (Edith Stein, August
9) were named co-patronesses of Europe.
Comment:
Bridget’s visions, rather than isolating her from the affairs of the world, involved her in many contemporary issues, whether they be royal policy or the years that the legitimate Bishop of Rome lived in Avignon, France. She saw no contradiction between mystical experience and secular activity, and her life is a testimony to the possibility of a holy life in the marketplace.
Bridget’s visions, rather than isolating her from the affairs of the world, involved her in many contemporary issues, whether they be royal policy or the years that the legitimate Bishop of Rome lived in Avignon, France. She saw no contradiction between mystical experience and secular activity, and her life is a testimony to the possibility of a holy life in the marketplace.
Quote:
Despite the hardships of life and wayward children (not all became saints), Margery Kempe of Lynn says Bridget was “kind and meek to every creature” and “she had a laughing face.”
Despite the hardships of life and wayward children (not all became saints), Margery Kempe of Lynn says Bridget was “kind and meek to every creature” and “she had a laughing face.”
Patron Saint of:
Europe
Europe
LECTIO DIVINA:
MATTHEW 13,1-9
Lectio:
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Lord,
be merciful to your people.
Fill us with your gifts
and make us always eager to serve you
in faith, hope and love.
You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
be merciful to your people.
Fill us with your gifts
and make us always eager to serve you
in faith, hope and love.
You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading – Matthew 13,1-9
That same day, Jesus left the house and sat by the lakeside, but
such large crowds gathered round him that he got into the boat and sat there.
The people all stood on the shore and he told them many things in parables.
He said, ‘Listen, a sower went out to sow.
As he sowed, some seeds fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on patches of rock where they found little soil and sprang up at once, because there was no depth of earth; but as soon as the sun came up they were scorched and, not having any roots, they withered away. Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Others fell on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Anyone who has ears should listen!’
He said, ‘Listen, a sower went out to sow.
As he sowed, some seeds fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on patches of rock where they found little soil and sprang up at once, because there was no depth of earth; but as soon as the sun came up they were scorched and, not having any roots, they withered away. Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Others fell on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Anyone who has ears should listen!’
3) Reflection
• In chapter 13 of the Gospel of Matthew the third great
discourse begins, the Discourse of the Parables. As we already
said before, in the commentary on the Gospel of July 9th, Matthew organized his
Gospel like a new edition of the Law of God or like a new “Pentateuch” with its
five books. For this reason his Gospel is composed of five great discourses or
teachings of Jesus, followed by narrative parts, in which he describes how
Jesus put into practice what he had taught in the discourses. The following is
the outline:
Introduction: birth and preparation of the Messiah (Mt 1 to 4)
a) Sermon on the Mountain: the entrance door to the Kingdom (Mt 5 to 7)
Narrative Mt 8 and 9
b) Discourse of the Mission: how to announce and diffuse the Kingdom (Mt 10)
Narrative Mt 11 and 12
c) Discourse of the Parables: the mystery of the Kingdom present in life (Mt 13)
Narrative Mt 14 to 17
d) Discourse of the Community: the new way of living together in the Kingdom (Mt 18)
Narrative 19 to 23
e) Discourse of the future coming of the Kingdom: the utopia which sustains hope (Mt 24 and 25)
Conclusion: Passion, Death and Resurrection (Mt 26 to 28).
• In today’s Gospel we will meditate on the parable of the seed. Jesus had a way of speaking so popular by means of comparisons and parables. Generally, when he finished telling a parable, he did not explain it, but used to say: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Mt 11,15; 13,9.43). Sometimes he would explain the meaning to the Disciples (Mt 13,36). The parables speak of the things of life; seed, lamp, mustard seed, salt, etc. These are things that exist in daily life, for the people of that time as well as today for us. Thus, the experience that we have today of these things becomes for us a means to discover the presence of the mystery of God in our life. To speak in parables means to reveal the mystery of the Kingdom present in life.
• Matthew 13,1-3: Sitting in the boat, Jesus taught the people. As it happened in the Sermon on the Mountain (Mt 5,1-2), here also Matthew makes a brief introduction to the discourse of the Parables, describing Jesus who teaches in the boat, on the shore, and many people around him who listen. Jesus was not a person who was instructed (Jn 7,15). He had not been to a higher school in Jerusalem. He came from inside the country, from Nazareth. He was unknown, a farmer and craftsman or artisan at the same time. Without asking permission from the religious authority, he began to teach the people. People liked to listen to him. Jesus taught especially by means of parables. We have already heard some of them: fishermen of men (Mt 4,19), the salt (Mt 5,13), the lamp (Mt 5,15), the birds of the sky and the lilies of the field (Mt 6,26.28), the house constructed on the rock (Mt 7,24). And now, in chapter 13, the parables begin to have a particular meaning: they serve to reveal the mystery of the Kingdom of God present in the midst of people and the activity of Jesus.
• Matthew 13,4-8: The parable of the seed taken from the life of the farmer. At that time, it was not easy to live from farming. The land was full of stones. There was little rain, too much sun. Besides, many times, people in order to shorten the way, passed through the fields and destroyed the plants (Mt 12,1). But in spite of all that, every year, the farmer would sow and plant, with trust in the force of the seed, in the generosity of nature. The parable of the sower describes that which we all know and do: the seed thrown by the agriculturer falls on the ground along the road, another part falls among the stones and thistles; still another part falls on good earth, where, according to the quality of the land, will produce thirty, sixty and even up to one hundred. A parable is a comparison. It uses things known by the people and which are visible, to explain that the Kingdom of God is an invisible and unknown thing. The people of Galilee understood about seeds, ground, rain, sun and harvest. And so now Jesus uses exactly these things that were known to people to explain the mystery of the Kingdom.
• Matthew 13,9: He, who has ears to hear, let him listen. The expression “He, who has ears, let him listen” means: “It is this! You have heard. Now try to understand!” The way to be able to understand the parable is to search: “To try to understand!” The parable does not give everything immediately, but pushes one to think and to make one discover starting from the experience which the auditors have of the seed. It opens to creativity and to participation. It is not a doctrine which comes ready to be taught. The parable does not give water in bottles, but the source. The agriculturer who listens to the parable says: “Seed in the round, I know what that means! But Jesus says that it has something to do with the Kingdom of God. What would that be?” And it is easy to imagine the long conversations of the people! The parable leads to listen to nature and to think of life. Once a person asked in a community: “Jesus says that we have to be salt. For what is salt good?” There was discussion and then at the end, ten different purposes that salt can have, were discovered. Then all this was applied to the life of the community and it was discovered that to be salt is difficult and demanding. The parable worked well!
Introduction: birth and preparation of the Messiah (Mt 1 to 4)
a) Sermon on the Mountain: the entrance door to the Kingdom (Mt 5 to 7)
Narrative Mt 8 and 9
b) Discourse of the Mission: how to announce and diffuse the Kingdom (Mt 10)
Narrative Mt 11 and 12
c) Discourse of the Parables: the mystery of the Kingdom present in life (Mt 13)
Narrative Mt 14 to 17
d) Discourse of the Community: the new way of living together in the Kingdom (Mt 18)
Narrative 19 to 23
e) Discourse of the future coming of the Kingdom: the utopia which sustains hope (Mt 24 and 25)
Conclusion: Passion, Death and Resurrection (Mt 26 to 28).
• In today’s Gospel we will meditate on the parable of the seed. Jesus had a way of speaking so popular by means of comparisons and parables. Generally, when he finished telling a parable, he did not explain it, but used to say: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Mt 11,15; 13,9.43). Sometimes he would explain the meaning to the Disciples (Mt 13,36). The parables speak of the things of life; seed, lamp, mustard seed, salt, etc. These are things that exist in daily life, for the people of that time as well as today for us. Thus, the experience that we have today of these things becomes for us a means to discover the presence of the mystery of God in our life. To speak in parables means to reveal the mystery of the Kingdom present in life.
• Matthew 13,1-3: Sitting in the boat, Jesus taught the people. As it happened in the Sermon on the Mountain (Mt 5,1-2), here also Matthew makes a brief introduction to the discourse of the Parables, describing Jesus who teaches in the boat, on the shore, and many people around him who listen. Jesus was not a person who was instructed (Jn 7,15). He had not been to a higher school in Jerusalem. He came from inside the country, from Nazareth. He was unknown, a farmer and craftsman or artisan at the same time. Without asking permission from the religious authority, he began to teach the people. People liked to listen to him. Jesus taught especially by means of parables. We have already heard some of them: fishermen of men (Mt 4,19), the salt (Mt 5,13), the lamp (Mt 5,15), the birds of the sky and the lilies of the field (Mt 6,26.28), the house constructed on the rock (Mt 7,24). And now, in chapter 13, the parables begin to have a particular meaning: they serve to reveal the mystery of the Kingdom of God present in the midst of people and the activity of Jesus.
• Matthew 13,4-8: The parable of the seed taken from the life of the farmer. At that time, it was not easy to live from farming. The land was full of stones. There was little rain, too much sun. Besides, many times, people in order to shorten the way, passed through the fields and destroyed the plants (Mt 12,1). But in spite of all that, every year, the farmer would sow and plant, with trust in the force of the seed, in the generosity of nature. The parable of the sower describes that which we all know and do: the seed thrown by the agriculturer falls on the ground along the road, another part falls among the stones and thistles; still another part falls on good earth, where, according to the quality of the land, will produce thirty, sixty and even up to one hundred. A parable is a comparison. It uses things known by the people and which are visible, to explain that the Kingdom of God is an invisible and unknown thing. The people of Galilee understood about seeds, ground, rain, sun and harvest. And so now Jesus uses exactly these things that were known to people to explain the mystery of the Kingdom.
• Matthew 13,9: He, who has ears to hear, let him listen. The expression “He, who has ears, let him listen” means: “It is this! You have heard. Now try to understand!” The way to be able to understand the parable is to search: “To try to understand!” The parable does not give everything immediately, but pushes one to think and to make one discover starting from the experience which the auditors have of the seed. It opens to creativity and to participation. It is not a doctrine which comes ready to be taught. The parable does not give water in bottles, but the source. The agriculturer who listens to the parable says: “Seed in the round, I know what that means! But Jesus says that it has something to do with the Kingdom of God. What would that be?” And it is easy to imagine the long conversations of the people! The parable leads to listen to nature and to think of life. Once a person asked in a community: “Jesus says that we have to be salt. For what is salt good?” There was discussion and then at the end, ten different purposes that salt can have, were discovered. Then all this was applied to the life of the community and it was discovered that to be salt is difficult and demanding. The parable worked well!
4) Personal questions
• When you were a child how was catechism taught to you? How do
you compare some parts of life? Do you remember some important comparison that
the catechist told you? How is the catechesis today in your community?
• Sometimes we are the road side, sometimes the rock; other times the thorns or thistles, and other times good earth. What am I? What are we in our community? Which are the fruits which the Word of God is producing in my life, in my family, and in our community: thirty, sixty, one hundred?
• Sometimes we are the road side, sometimes the rock; other times the thorns or thistles, and other times good earth. What am I? What are we in our community? Which are the fruits which the Word of God is producing in my life, in my family, and in our community: thirty, sixty, one hundred?
5) Concluding Prayer
Yahweh in his holy temple!
Yahweh, his throne is in heaven;
his eyes watch over the world,
his gaze scrutinises the children of Adam. (Ps 11,4)
Yahweh, his throne is in heaven;
his eyes watch over the world,
his gaze scrutinises the children of Adam. (Ps 11,4)
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