Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 103
Lectionary: 103
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.
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
PsalmPS 65:10, 11, 12-13, 14
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.
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 2ROM 8:18-23
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.
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.
All who come to him will have life forever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 13:1-23 OR 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.”
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.
“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.
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.”
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.”
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: Why
Do You Speak to Them in Parables?
What
is the best and easiest way to help people understand God's kingdom? Like the
rabbis of his time, Jesus very frequently used parables -
short stories and images taken from everyday life - to convey hidden truths
about the kingdom of God. Like a skillful artist, Jesus sketched memorable
pictures with short and simple words. A good image can speak more loudly and
clearly than many words. Jesus used the ordinary everyday illustrations 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 vivid illustrations which captured the imaginations of his
audience more powerfully than any abstract presentation could. His parables are
like buried treasure waiting to be discovered (Matthew 13:44).
What can the parable about seeds and roots teach 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)
How do you listen to God's 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 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?
The refusal to believe and understand
Jesus told his disciples that not everyone would understand his parables. Did Jesus mean to say that he was deliberately confusing or hiding the meaning of his stories from his listeners? Very likely not. Jesus was speaking from experience. He was aware that some who heard his parables refused to understand them. It was not that they could not intellectually understand them, but rather, their hearts were closed to what Jesus was saying. They had already made up their minds to not believe. God can only reveal the secrets of his kingdom - that which is hidden to the spiritually blind - to those who hunger for God and humbly submit to his truth.
What can makes us ineffective or unresponsive to God's word? Preoccupation with other things can distract us from what is truly important and worthwhile. And letting our hearts and minds be consumed with material things can easily weigh us down and draw us away from the heavenly treasure that lasts for eternity. God's word can only take root in a receptive heart which is docile and ready to hear what God has to say.
How God's word takes root in us
The parables of Jesus will enlighten us if we approach them with an open mind and heart, ready to let them challenge us. If we approach them with the conviction that we already know the answer, then we, too, may look but not see, listen but not understand. God's word can only take root in a receptive heart that is ready to believe and willing to submit. Do you submit to God's word with trust and obedience?
One lesson from this parable is clear: the harvest is sure to come. While some seed will fall by the wayside and some fall on shallow ground and never come to maturity, and some be choked to death by the thorns; nonetheless a harvest will come. The seed that falls on good soil, on the heart that is receptive, will reap abundant fruit. God is always ready to speak to each of us and to give us understanding of his word. Are you hungry for his word? And do you allow anything to keep you from submitting to God's word with joy and trusting obedience?
What can the parable about seeds and roots teach 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)
How do you listen to God's 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 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?
The refusal to believe and understand
Jesus told his disciples that not everyone would understand his parables. Did Jesus mean to say that he was deliberately confusing or hiding the meaning of his stories from his listeners? Very likely not. Jesus was speaking from experience. He was aware that some who heard his parables refused to understand them. It was not that they could not intellectually understand them, but rather, their hearts were closed to what Jesus was saying. They had already made up their minds to not believe. God can only reveal the secrets of his kingdom - that which is hidden to the spiritually blind - to those who hunger for God and humbly submit to his truth.
What can makes us ineffective or unresponsive to God's word? Preoccupation with other things can distract us from what is truly important and worthwhile. And letting our hearts and minds be consumed with material things can easily weigh us down and draw us away from the heavenly treasure that lasts for eternity. God's word can only take root in a receptive heart which is docile and ready to hear what God has to say.
How God's word takes root in us
The parables of Jesus will enlighten us if we approach them with an open mind and heart, ready to let them challenge us. If we approach them with the conviction that we already know the answer, then we, too, may look but not see, listen but not understand. God's word can only take root in a receptive heart that is ready to believe and willing to submit. Do you submit to God's word with trust and obedience?
One lesson from this parable is clear: the harvest is sure to come. While some seed will fall by the wayside and some fall on shallow ground and never come to maturity, and some be choked to death by the thorns; nonetheless a harvest will come. The seed that falls on good soil, on the heart that is receptive, will reap abundant fruit. God is always ready to speak to each of us and to give us understanding of his word. Are you hungry for his word? And do you allow anything to keep you from submitting to God's word with joy and trusting obedience?
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 shallow and rootless mind, by Clement
of Alexandria, 150-215 A.D.
"Let
us look, as from a broader perspective, at what it means to be on the road. In
a way, every road is hardened and foolish on account of the fact that it lies
beneath everyone's feet. No kind of seed finds there enough depth of soil for a
covering. Instead, it lies on the surface and is ready to be snatched up by the
birds that come by. Therefore those who have in themselves a mind hardened and,
as it were, packed tight do not receive the divine seed but become a well-trodden
way for the unclean spirits. These are what is here meant by 'the birds of the
heaven'" But 'heaven' we understand to mean this air, in which the spirits
of wickedness move about, by whom, again, the good seed is snatched up and
destroyed. Then what are those upon the rock? They are those people who do not
take much care of the faith they have in themselves. They have not set their
minds to understand the touchstone of the mystery [of being united with
Christ]. The reverence these people have toward God is shallow and rootless. It
is in times of ease and fair weather that they practice Christianity, when it
involves none of the painful trials of winter. They will not preserve their
faith in this way, if in times of tumultuous persecution their soul is not
prepared for the struggle. (excerpt from FRAGMENT 168)
FIFTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
SUNDAY, JULY 12, MATTHEW 13:1-23 or MATTHEW 13:1-9
(Isaiah 55:10-11; Psalm 65; Romans 8:18-23)
SUNDAY, JULY 12, MATTHEW 13:1-23 or MATTHEW 13:1-9
(Isaiah 55:10-11; Psalm 65; Romans 8:18-23)
KEY VERSE: "But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it" (v. 23).
TO KNOW: A parable (Hebrew, mashal) is an implied comparison, which is not always obvious. Once perceived it sheds new light on the subject. A parable designates a wide variety of literary forms: axioms, proverbs, similitudes and allegories. Jesus' parables were primarily stories that invited the hearer to search for the meaning of the truths he was teaching. Jesus was a wise teacher who used examples from everyday life to illustrate the deep mysteries of God's reign. In the parable of the sower, the seed of God's word was sown on unproductive soil. Most of the effort was wasted because many hearts were not prepared to understand the meaning of Jesus' message. Jesus told his disciples that they were blessed because they had been given the grace to comprehend his words. They must persevere in their task of proclaiming God's reign no matter how few accepted their message or rewarded them for their work. Jesus assured them of their ultimate success, comparing it to the enormous crop that would be produced by their labors. Ten times would have been more than any farmer would have expected, but thirty times, sixty times, and one hundred times was more than they could ever imagine!
TO LOVE: Do I persist in proclaiming the gospel when I am discouraged by the outcome?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, open my ears to your revealed truth.
Sunday 12 July 2020
15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Isaiah 55:10-11. The seed that falls on good ground will yield a
fruitful harvest – Psalm 64(65):10-14. Romans 8:18-23. Matthew 13:1-23.
‘A sower went out to sow’
Today’s readings use the rich imagery of the spilling forth of
life in nature to illustrate how we are predisposed to receive God’s Word,
which will in turn spill out of us. If we look around us, it is not hard to see
that the entirety of creation, including ourselves are ‘groaning with labour
pains’ for the coming forth of God.
We are called to make ourselves soft, fertile soil, rather than
hardened clay to receive the seed of God’s word.
In the Gospel Jesus explains why he speaks in parables. It is in
parables, in stories that we able to see a deeper truth not through a literal
reading but by calling on our imagination to read between the lines. Unless we
want to be hardened clay or we need to open ourselves in creative participation
with the Word and let it sink deeply into our being.
Saints John Jones and John Wall
Saint of the Day for July 12
(c.1530 – 1598; 1620 – 1679)
 |
| Forty Martyrs of England and Wales commissioned by the General Postulation of the Society of Jesus | Daphne Pollen |
Saints John Jones and John Wall’s story
These two friars were martyred in England in the 16th and 17th
centuries for refusing to deny their faith.
John Jones was Welsh. He was ordained a diocesan priest and was
twice imprisoned for administering the sacraments before
leaving England in 1590. He joined the Franciscans at the age of 60 and
returned to England three years later while Queen Elizabeth I was at the height
of her power. John ministered to Catholics in the English countryside until his
imprisonment in 1596. He was condemned to be hanged, drawn, and quartered. John
was executed on July 12, 1598.
John Wall was born in England but was educated at the English
College of Douai, Belgium. Ordained in Rome in 1648, he entered the Franciscans
in Douai several years later. In 1656 he returned to work secretly in England.
In 1678, Titus Oates worked many English people into a frenzy
over an alleged papal plot to murder the king and restore Catholicism in that
country. In that year Catholics were legally excluded from Parliament, a law
which was not repealed until 1829. John Wall was arrested and imprisoned in
1678, and was executed the following year.
John Jones and John Wall were canonized in 1970.
Reflection
Every martyr knows how to save his/her life and yet refuses to
do so. A public repudiation of the faith would save any of them. But some
things are more precious than life itself. These martyrs prove that their
20th-century countryman, C. S. Lewis, was correct in saying that courage is not
simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point,
that is, at the point of highest reality.
Lectio Divina: 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
Lectio Divina
Sunday, July 12, 2020
The parable of the seed
Matthew 13:1-23
Matthew 13:1-23
1. 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).
2. Reading
a) 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 Caperrnaum 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 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 “house” whence Jesus leaves is the house where he lived in Caperrnaum 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 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.
b) 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 hard, 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.'
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.'
3. 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…
4. Interpreting the text
a) 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.
b) 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 that 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 (Isa 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.
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.
c) 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 to 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.
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.
5. 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 to 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.
- 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.
6. 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.
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.
7. 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!
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