Saturday of the Twenty-fourth Week in
Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 448
Lectionary: 448
Brothers and sisters:
Someone may say, "How are the dead raised?
With what kind of body will they come back?"
You fool!
What you sow is not brought to life unless it dies.
And what you sow is not the body that is to be
but a bare kernel of wheat, perhaps, or of some other kind.
So also is the resurrection of the dead.
It is sown corruptible; it is raised incorruptible.
It is sown dishonorable; it is raised glorious.
It is sown weak; it is raised powerful.
It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.
If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual one.
So, too, it is written,
"The first man, Adam, became a living being,"
the last Adam a life-giving spirit.
But the spiritual was not first;
rather the natural and then the spiritual.
The first man was from the earth, earthly;
the second man, from heaven.
As was the earthly one, so also are the earthly,
and as is the heavenly one, so also are the heavenly.
Just as we have borne the image of the earthly one,
we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one.
Someone may say, "How are the dead raised?
With what kind of body will they come back?"
You fool!
What you sow is not brought to life unless it dies.
And what you sow is not the body that is to be
but a bare kernel of wheat, perhaps, or of some other kind.
So also is the resurrection of the dead.
It is sown corruptible; it is raised incorruptible.
It is sown dishonorable; it is raised glorious.
It is sown weak; it is raised powerful.
It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.
If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual one.
So, too, it is written,
"The first man, Adam, became a living being,"
the last Adam a life-giving spirit.
But the spiritual was not first;
rather the natural and then the spiritual.
The first man was from the earth, earthly;
the second man, from heaven.
As was the earthly one, so also are the earthly,
and as is the heavenly one, so also are the heavenly.
Just as we have borne the image of the earthly one,
we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 56:10C-12, 13-14
R. (14) I
will walk in the presence of God, in the light of the living.
Now I know that God is with me.
In God, in whose promise I glory,
in God I trust without fear;
what can flesh do against me?
R. I will walk in the presence of God, in the light of the living.
I am bound, O God, by vows to you;
your thank offerings I will fulfill.
For you have rescued me from death,
my feet, too, from stumbling;
that I may walk before God in the light of the living.
R. I will walk in the presence of God, in the light of the living.
Now I know that God is with me.
In God, in whose promise I glory,
in God I trust without fear;
what can flesh do against me?
R. I will walk in the presence of God, in the light of the living.
I am bound, O God, by vows to you;
your thank offerings I will fulfill.
For you have rescued me from death,
my feet, too, from stumbling;
that I may walk before God in the light of the living.
R. I will walk in the presence of God, in the light of the living.
AlleluiaSEE LK 8:15
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart
and yield a harvest through perseverance.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart
and yield a harvest through perseverance.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 8:4-15
When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town after another
journeying to Jesus, he spoke in a parable.
"A sower went out to sow his seed.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled,
and the birds of the sky ate it up.
Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew,
it withered for lack of moisture.
Some seed fell among thorns,
and the thorns grew with it and choked it.
And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew,
it produced fruit a hundredfold."
After saying this, he called out,
"Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear."
Then his disciples asked him
what the meaning of this parable might be.
He answered,
"Knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God
has been granted to you;
but to the rest, they are made known through parables
so that they may look but not see, and hear but not understand.
"This is the meaning of the parable.
The seed is the word of God.
Those on the path are the ones who have heard,
but the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts
that they may not believe and be saved.
Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear,
receive the word with joy, but they have no root;
they believe only for a time and fall away in time of temptation.
As for the seed that fell among thorns,
they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along,
they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life,
and they fail to produce mature fruit.
But as for the seed that fell on rich soil,
they are the ones who, when they have heard the word,
embrace it with a generous and good heart,
and bear fruit through perseverance."
journeying to Jesus, he spoke in a parable.
"A sower went out to sow his seed.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled,
and the birds of the sky ate it up.
Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew,
it withered for lack of moisture.
Some seed fell among thorns,
and the thorns grew with it and choked it.
And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew,
it produced fruit a hundredfold."
After saying this, he called out,
"Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear."
Then his disciples asked him
what the meaning of this parable might be.
He answered,
"Knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God
has been granted to you;
but to the rest, they are made known through parables
so that they may look but not see, and hear but not understand.
"This is the meaning of the parable.
The seed is the word of God.
Those on the path are the ones who have heard,
but the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts
that they may not believe and be saved.
Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear,
receive the word with joy, but they have no root;
they believe only for a time and fall away in time of temptation.
As for the seed that fell among thorns,
they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along,
they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life,
and they fail to produce mature fruit.
But as for the seed that fell on rich soil,
they are the ones who, when they have heard the word,
embrace it with a generous and good heart,
and bear fruit through perseverance."
Meditation: "He who has ears to hear,
let him hear"
How good are you at listening, especially for the word
of God? God is always ready to speak to each of us and to give us understanding
of his word. Jesus' parable of the sower is aimed at the hearers of his word.
There are different ways of accepting God's word and they produce different
kinds of fruit accordingly. There is the prejudiced hearer who has a shut mind.
Such a person is unteachable and blind to the things of God. Then there is the
shallow hearer who fails to think things out or think them through; such a
person lacks spiritual depth. They may initially respond with an emotional
fervor; but when it wears off their mind wanders to something else.
Does God's word for you go in one ear and out the
other?
Another type of hearer is the person who has many interests and cares, but who lacks the ability to hear and understand what is truly important. Such a person is for ever too busy to pray and to listen and reflect on God's word because he or she allows other things to occupy their mind and heart. Whose voice or message gets the most attention from you - the voice of the world with its many distractions or the voice of God who wishes to speak his word of love and truth with you each and every day?
Another type of hearer is the person who has many interests and cares, but who lacks the ability to hear and understand what is truly important. Such a person is for ever too busy to pray and to listen and reflect on God's word because he or she allows other things to occupy their mind and heart. Whose voice or message gets the most attention from you - the voice of the world with its many distractions or the voice of God who wishes to speak his word of love and truth with you each and every day?
A receptive heart and mind that listens attentively
Jesus compares the third type of hearer with the good soil that is ready to receive the seed of his word so it can take root and grow, and produce good fruit. A receptive heart and open mind are always ready to hear what God wants to teach us through his word. The "ears of their heart" and the "eyes of their mind" search out the meaning of God's word for them so that it may grow and produce good fruit in their lives. They hear with a listening ear and teachable spirit (Isaiah 50:4-5) that wants to learn and understand the intention of God's word for them. They strive to tune out the noise and distractions of the world around them so they can give their attention to God's word and find nourishment in it. They listen in order to understand.
Jesus compares the third type of hearer with the good soil that is ready to receive the seed of his word so it can take root and grow, and produce good fruit. A receptive heart and open mind are always ready to hear what God wants to teach us through his word. The "ears of their heart" and the "eyes of their mind" search out the meaning of God's word for them so that it may grow and produce good fruit in their lives. They hear with a listening ear and teachable spirit (Isaiah 50:4-5) that wants to learn and understand the intention of God's word for them. They strive to tune out the noise and distractions of the world around them so they can give their attention to God's word and find nourishment in it. They listen in order to understand.
God's word has power to change and transform each one
of us if we receive it with trust (a believing heart) and allow it to
take root in our inner being (the depths of our heart, mind, and soul). God's
word is our daily food to nourish and strengthen us on our journey of faith to
his everlasting kingdom. Do you hunger for God's word?
"Lord Jesus, faith in your word is the way to
wisdom, and to ponder your divine plan is to grow in the truth. Open my eyes to
your deeds, and my ears to the sound of your call, that I may understand your
will for my life and live according to it."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: The Devil snatches good seed off the path,
by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)
"The seed is the Word of God. Those on the way
are they who have heard. Afterwards, the devil comes and takes away the Word
from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved. We see in a moment
that the hardness of the ground causes the seed on the pathways to be snatched
away. A pathway always is hard and untilled, because it is exposed to every
one's feet. It does not admit any seed into it, but it lies rather upon the
surface, ready for any birds that will to snatch it away. All whose minds are
hard and unyielding, and so to speak, pressed together, do not receive the
divine seed. The divine and sacred admonition does not find an entrance into
them. They do not accept the words that would produce in them the fear of God
and by means of which they could bring forth as fruits the glories of virtue.
They have made themselves a beaten and trampled pathway for unclean demons,
yes, for Satan himself, such as never can bear holy fruit. Let those who are awake,
whose heart is sterile and unfruitful, open your mind, receive the sacred seed,
be like productive and well-tilled soil, bring forth to God the fruits that
will raise you to an incorruptible life." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 41)
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, LUKE 8:4-15
Weekday
(1 Corinthians 15:35-37, 42-49; Psalm 56)
Weekday
(1 Corinthians 15:35-37, 42-49; Psalm 56)
KEY VERSE: "And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew, it produced fruit a hundredfold" (v. 8).
TO KNOW: As Jesus journeyed from town to town proclaiming the good news, he told the crowds a parable about hearing and acting on the word of God. In the story, Jesus compared God's word to seed that had been sown in both favorable and adverse conditions. He said that there were many reasons why some people failed to respond to God's word, thus preventing it from taking root in their lives. Satan, trials, worldly concerns and material pleasures were all obstacles to Jesus' offer of the gospel. Those who persisted in spite of these difficulties were the ones whose hearts were open and ready to receive the message of salvation. Each person has been given a bit of earth in which to plant God's word. With perseverance and devotion, they will bear abundant fruit in their lives.
TO LOVE: How have I helped others to hear the word of God?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help my heart to be fertile ground for your word.
OPTIONAL MEMORIAL OF THE BLESSED
VIRGIN MARY
Chapter V of the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, issued by the Holy See in December 2001, describes the Church's traditional dedication of Saturday to the Virgin Mary. "Saturdays stand out among those days dedicated to the Virgin Mary. These are designated as memorials of the Blessed Virgin Mary" (218). The chapter also describes the importance of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, in Catholic devotional life, in the Liturgy, and reflections on popular devotions to Mary, her feast days, and the Rosary.
NOTE: Our Lady of La Salette is a Marian apparition reported by two children, Maximin Giraud and Mélanie Calvat to have occurred at La Salette-Fallavaux, France, in 1846. On 21 August 1879, Pope Leo XIII formally granted a canonical coronation to the Virgin Mary's image at the Basilica of Our Lady of La Salette. A Russian style tiara was granted to the image, instead of the solar-type tiara used in its traditional depictions of Our Lady during her apparitions.
Chapter V of the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, issued by the Holy See in December 2001, describes the Church's traditional dedication of Saturday to the Virgin Mary. "Saturdays stand out among those days dedicated to the Virgin Mary. These are designated as memorials of the Blessed Virgin Mary" (218). The chapter also describes the importance of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, in Catholic devotional life, in the Liturgy, and reflections on popular devotions to Mary, her feast days, and the Rosary.
NOTE: Our Lady of La Salette is a Marian apparition reported by two children, Maximin Giraud and Mélanie Calvat to have occurred at La Salette-Fallavaux, France, in 1846. On 21 August 1879, Pope Leo XIII formally granted a canonical coronation to the Virgin Mary's image at the Basilica of Our Lady of La Salette. A Russian style tiara was granted to the image, instead of the solar-type tiara used in its traditional depictions of Our Lady during her apparitions.
Saturday 22
September 2018
1 Corinthians 15:35-37, 42-49. Psalm 55(56):10-14. Luke 8:4-15.
I will walk in the presence of God, with the light of the
living—Psalm 55(56):10-14.
‘The seed is the word of God.’
The seed is life waiting to be awakened from dormancy to new
expression – a beautiful blossoming of greenery and abundance. Its full
potential is encased in its tiny form. The seed is also understood as the word
of God. Although sown in liberal quantities, only seeds that take root and
receive care and a receptive place to grow will be productive.
Nurturing a seedling to maturity, or a child to adulthood,
requires care, effort and patience over a long time. So too is the path of
Christian life full of effort and challenge. When the vulnerability of our
faith is tested, Lord, give us patience to care and be receptive to your Word.
Saint Lorenzo Ruiz and Companions
Saint of the Day for September 22
(1600 – September 29 or 30, 1637)
 |
| San Lorenzo Ruiz Parish Church | photo by Judgefloro |
Saint Lorenzo Ruiz and Companions’ Story
Lorenzo was born in Manila of a Chinese father and a Filipino
mother, both Christians. Thus he learned Chinese and Tagalog from them, and
Spanish from the Dominicans whom he served as altar boy and sacristan. He
became a professional calligrapher, transcribing documents in beautiful
penmanship. He was a full member of the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary under
Dominican auspices. He married and had two sons and a daughter.
Lorenzo’s life took an abrupt turn when he was accused of
murder. Nothing further is known except the statement of two Dominicans that
“he was sought by the authorities on account of a homicide to which he was
present or which was attributed to him.”
At that time, three Dominican priests, Antonio Gonzalez,
Guillermo Courtet, and Miguel de Aozaraza, were about to sail to Japan in spite
of a violent persecution there. With them was a Japanese priest, Vicente
Shiwozuka de la Cruz, and a layman named Lazaro, a leper. Lorenzo, having taken
asylum with them, was allowed to accompany them. But only when they were at sea
did he learn that they were going to Japan.
They landed at Okinawa. Lorenzo could have gone on to Formosa,
but, he reported, “I decided to stay with the Fathers, because the Spaniards
would hang me there.” In Japan they were soon found out, arrested, and taken to
Nagasaki. The site of wholesale bloodshed when the atomic bomb was dropped had
known tragedy before. The 50,000 Catholics who once lived there were dispersed
or killed by persecution.
They were subjected to an unspeakable kind of torture: After
huge quantities of water were forced down their throats, they were made to lie
down. Long boards were placed on their stomachs and guards then stepped on the
ends of the boards, forcing the water to spurt violently from mouth, nose and
ears.
The superior, Fr. Gonzalez, died after some days. Both Fr.
Shiwozuka and Lazaro broke under torture, which included the insertion of
bamboo needles under their fingernails. But both were brought back to courage
by their companions.
In Lorenzo’s moment of crisis, he asked the interpreter, “I
would like to know if, by apostatizing, they will spare my life.” The
interpreter was noncommittal, but in the ensuing hours Lorenzo felt his faith
grow strong. He became bold, even audacious, with his interrogators.
The five were put to death by being hanged upside down in pits.
Boards fitted with semi-circular holes were fitted around their waists and
stones put on top to increase the pressure. They were tightly bound, to slow
circulation and prevent a speedy death. They were allowed to hang for three
days. By that time Lorenzo and Lazaro were dead. Still alive, the three priests
were then beheaded.
In 1987, Pope John Paul II canonized these six and 10
others: Asians and Europeans, men and women, who spread the faith in the
Philippines, Formosa, and Japan. Lorenzo Ruiz is the first canonized Filipino
martyr. The Liturgical Feast of Saint Lorenzo Ruiz and Companions is
September 28.
Reflection
We ordinary Christians of today—how would we stand up in the
circumstances these martyrs faced? We sympathize with the two who temporarily
denied the faith. We understand Lorenzo’s terrible moment of temptation. But we
see also the courage—inexplainable in human terms—which surged from their store
of faith. Martyrdom, like ordinary life, is a miracle of grace.
LECTIO DIVINA: LUKE 8:4-15
Lectio Divina:
Saturday, September 22, 2018
Ordinary Time
1) OPENING PRAYER
Almighty God,
our creator and guide,
may we serve You with all our hearts
and know Your forgiveness in our lives.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
our creator and guide,
may we serve You with all our hearts
and know Your forgiveness in our lives.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) GOSPEL READING - LUKE
8:4-15
When a large crowd gathered, with people
from one town after another journeying to Jesus, he spoke in a parable. "A
sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and
was trampled, and the birds of the sky ate it up. Some seed fell on rocky
ground, and when it grew, it withered for lack of moisture. Some seed fell
among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some seed fell on
good soil, and when it grew, it produced fruit a hundredfold." After
saying this, he called out, "Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear."
Then his disciples asked him what the meaning of this parable might be. He
answered, "Knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God has been
granted to you; but to the rest, they are made known through parables so that
they may look but not see, and hear but not understand. "This is the
meaning of the parable. The seed is the word of God. Those on the path are the
ones who have heard, but the Devil comes and takes away the word from their
hearts that they may not believe and be saved. Those on rocky ground are the
ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy, but they have no root;
they believe only for a time and fall away in time of temptation. As for the
seed that fell among thorns, they are the ones who have heard, but as they go
along, they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life, and
they fail to produce mature fruit. But as for the seed that fell on rich soil,
they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a
generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance."
3) REFLECTION
• In today’s Gospel, we will meditate on
the parable of the seed. Jesus had a very popular word to teach by means of
parables. A parable is a comparison which uses the visible things of life that
are known to explain the invisible and unknown things of the Kingdom of God.
Jesus had an enormous capacity to find very simple images to compare the things
of God with the things of life which people knew and experienced in their daily
struggle to survive. This presupposes two things: to be within the things of
life, and to be within the things of God, of the Kingdom of God. For example,
the people of Galilee understood all about seeds, of land, of rain, of the sun,
of salt of flowers, of the harvest, of fishing, etc. Now, there are exactly
these known things that Jesus uses in the parables to explain the mystery of
the Kingdom. The farmer who listens says: “The seed in the ground, I know what
this means. Jesus says that this has something to do with the Kingdom of God.
What could this ever be?” It is possible to imagine the long conversations with
the people! The parable enters into the heart of the people and urges them to
listen to nature and to think about life.
• When He finishes telling the parable, Jesus does not explain it, but He usually says: “Who has ears to hear, let him hear” This means: “This is: you have heard and so now try to understand!” From time to time He would explain to the disciples: People like this way of teaching, because Jesus believed in the personal capacity to discover the sense of the parables. The experience which people had of life was for Him a means to discover the presence of the mystery of God in their life and to have courage not to be discouraged along the way.
• Luke 8:4: The crowds follow Jesus. Luke says: a large crowd got around Him and people from all the towns ran to Him from all the towns. So then He tells them this parable. Mark describes how Jesus told the parable. There were so many people that He, in order not to fall, went into a boat and sitting down He taught the people who were on the seashore (Mk 4:1).
• Luke 8:5-8: The parable of the seed is a mirror of the life of the farmers. At that time, it was not easy to live from agriculture. The ground was full of rocks; there was little rain, and much sun. Besides, many times, people, to shorten the way, passed through the fields and stepped on the plants (Mk 2:23). But in spite of that, every year the farmer sowed and planted, trusting in the force of the seed, in the generosity of nature.
• Luke 8:8b: Anyone who has ears to hear let him hear! At the end, Jesus says: “Anyone who has ears to hear, let him hear!” The way to be able to understand the parable is to search: “Try to understand!” The parable does not say everything immediately, but moves the person to think. It does it in such a way that the person discovers the message beginning from the experience which the person has of the seed. It urges the person to be creative and to participate. It is not a doctrine which is presented ready to be taught and decorated. The parable is not water in a bottle, it is the source.
• Luke 8:9-10: Jesus explains the parable to the disciples. At home, alone with Jesus, the disciples want to know the meaning of the parable. Jesus responds by means of a difficult and mysterious phrase. He says to the Disciples: “To you is granted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God, for the rest it remains in parables so that “they may look but not perceive, listen but not understand”. This phrase gives rise to a question in the heart of the people: What is the purpose of a parable? Is it to clarify or to hide things? Did Jesus uses the parables in order that people continue in their ignorance and would not convert themselves? Certainly not! In another place it is said that Jesus used the parables “according to what they could understand” (Mk 4:33). The parable reveals and hides at the same time” It reveals for those who are “inside, within” who accept Jesus Messiah Servant. It hides for those who insist in seeing in Him the Messiah the glorious King. These understand the images of the parable, but do not understand its meaning.
• Luke 8:11-15: The explanation of the parable, in its diverse parts. One by one, Jesus explains the parts of the parable, the seed, and the earth up to the harvest time. Some scholars think that this explanation was added afterwards; that it would not be from Jesus, but from one of the communities. This is possible! It does not matter! Because in the bud of the parable there is the flower of the explanation. Buds and flowers, both of them have the same origin, that is, Jesus. This is why we also can continue to reflect and to discover other beautiful things in the parable. Once, a person in a community asked: “Jesus says that we have to be salt. For what does salt serve?” The people gave their opinion starting from the experience which each one had regarding salt! And they applied all this to the life of the community and discovered that to be salt is difficult and demanding. The parable functioned well! The same thing can be applied to the seeds. All have a certain experience.
• When He finishes telling the parable, Jesus does not explain it, but He usually says: “Who has ears to hear, let him hear” This means: “This is: you have heard and so now try to understand!” From time to time He would explain to the disciples: People like this way of teaching, because Jesus believed in the personal capacity to discover the sense of the parables. The experience which people had of life was for Him a means to discover the presence of the mystery of God in their life and to have courage not to be discouraged along the way.
• Luke 8:4: The crowds follow Jesus. Luke says: a large crowd got around Him and people from all the towns ran to Him from all the towns. So then He tells them this parable. Mark describes how Jesus told the parable. There were so many people that He, in order not to fall, went into a boat and sitting down He taught the people who were on the seashore (Mk 4:1).
• Luke 8:5-8: The parable of the seed is a mirror of the life of the farmers. At that time, it was not easy to live from agriculture. The ground was full of rocks; there was little rain, and much sun. Besides, many times, people, to shorten the way, passed through the fields and stepped on the plants (Mk 2:23). But in spite of that, every year the farmer sowed and planted, trusting in the force of the seed, in the generosity of nature.
• Luke 8:8b: Anyone who has ears to hear let him hear! At the end, Jesus says: “Anyone who has ears to hear, let him hear!” The way to be able to understand the parable is to search: “Try to understand!” The parable does not say everything immediately, but moves the person to think. It does it in such a way that the person discovers the message beginning from the experience which the person has of the seed. It urges the person to be creative and to participate. It is not a doctrine which is presented ready to be taught and decorated. The parable is not water in a bottle, it is the source.
• Luke 8:9-10: Jesus explains the parable to the disciples. At home, alone with Jesus, the disciples want to know the meaning of the parable. Jesus responds by means of a difficult and mysterious phrase. He says to the Disciples: “To you is granted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God, for the rest it remains in parables so that “they may look but not perceive, listen but not understand”. This phrase gives rise to a question in the heart of the people: What is the purpose of a parable? Is it to clarify or to hide things? Did Jesus uses the parables in order that people continue in their ignorance and would not convert themselves? Certainly not! In another place it is said that Jesus used the parables “according to what they could understand” (Mk 4:33). The parable reveals and hides at the same time” It reveals for those who are “inside, within” who accept Jesus Messiah Servant. It hides for those who insist in seeing in Him the Messiah the glorious King. These understand the images of the parable, but do not understand its meaning.
• Luke 8:11-15: The explanation of the parable, in its diverse parts. One by one, Jesus explains the parts of the parable, the seed, and the earth up to the harvest time. Some scholars think that this explanation was added afterwards; that it would not be from Jesus, but from one of the communities. This is possible! It does not matter! Because in the bud of the parable there is the flower of the explanation. Buds and flowers, both of them have the same origin, that is, Jesus. This is why we also can continue to reflect and to discover other beautiful things in the parable. Once, a person in a community asked: “Jesus says that we have to be salt. For what does salt serve?” The people gave their opinion starting from the experience which each one had regarding salt! And they applied all this to the life of the community and discovered that to be salt is difficult and demanding. The parable functioned well! The same thing can be applied to the seeds. All have a certain experience.
4) PERSONAL QUESTIONS
• The seed falls in four different
places: on the road side, among the rocks, among the thorns and in the good
earth. What does each one of these four places mean? What type of earth am I?
Sometimes, people are rock; other times thistles; other roadside, other times
good ground. Normally, what are we in our community?
• What are the fruits which the Word of God is producing in our life and in our community?
• What are the fruits which the Word of God is producing in our life and in our community?
5) CONCLUDING PRAYER
Your kingship is a kingship for ever,
Your reign lasts from age to age.
Yahweh is trustworthy in all His words,
and upright in all His deeds. (Ps 145:12-13)
Your reign lasts from age to age.
Yahweh is trustworthy in all His words,
and upright in all His deeds. (Ps 145:12-13)
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