Study and Meditations on this Sunday's Scripture Readings

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From the 1859 Haydock Commentary on the Douay-Rheims Bible:

*18 For I reckon, that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come, that shall be revealed in us.

19 For the expectation of the creature waiteth for the revelation of the sons of God.*

**Ver. 19. The expectation of the creature. He speaks of the corporal creation, made for the use and service of man; and, by occasion of his sin made subject to vanity, that is, to a perpetual instability, tending to corruption and other defects; so that by a figure of speech, it is here said to groan and be in labour, and to long for its deliverance, which is then to come, when sin shall reign no more; and God shall raise the bodies, and united them to their souls, never more to separate, and to be in everlasting happiness in heaven. (Challoner) — Waiteth for the revelation of the sons of God. That is, for the time after this life, when it shall be made manifest that they are the sons of God, and heirs of the kingdom of his glory. Several interpreters understand all creatures whatsoever, even irrational and inanimate creatures of this world, which are represented as if they had a knowledge and sense of a more happy condition, of a new unchangeable state of perfection, which they are to receive at the end of the world. See 2 Peter i. 13; Apocalypse xxi. 1. Now every insensible creature is figuratively brought in groaning like a woman in labour, waiting, and wishing for that new and happy state; but in the mean time unwillingly made subject to vanity, i.e. to these changeable imperfections of generations and corruptions, which then they shall be delivered from. (Witham) — The creature, &c. The creatures expect with impatience, and hope with confidence, to see a happy change in their condition; they flatter themselves that they will be delivered from the captivity of sin, to which man has reduced them, and enter into the liberty of the glory of the sons of God. Not that the inanimate creation will really participate the happiness and glory of the elect; although in some sense they may be said to have part in it, since they will enter into a pure, incorruptible and perfect state to the end of ages. They will no longer be subject to those changes and vicissitudes which sin has brought upon them; nor will sinful man any longer abuse their beauty and goodness in offending the Creator of all. St. Ambrose and St. Jerome teach that the sun, moon, and stars will be then much more brilliant and beautiful than at present, no longer subject to those changes they at present suffer. Philo and Tertullian teach that the beasts of prey will then lay aside their ferocity, and venomous serpents their poisonous qualities. (Calmet) — Other, by the creature or creatures, understand men only, and Christians, who groan under miseries and temptations in this mortal life, amidst the vanities of this world, under the slavery of corruption; who having already (ver. 23.) received the first-fruits of the Spirit, the grace of God in baptism, have been made the children of God, and now, with expectation and great earnestness, wait and long for a more perfect adoption of the sons of God: for the redemption of their bodies, when the bodies, as well as the souls of the elect, shall rise to an immortal life, and complete happiness in heaven. (Witham)

*20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him, that made it subject in hope:

21 Because the creature also itself shall be delivered from the servitude of corruption, into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.

22 For we know that every creature groaneth, and is in labour even till now.

23 And not only it, but ourselves also, who have the first-fruits of the spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption of the sons of God, the redemption of our body.*

 

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The 2nd Reading is cited or alluded to in the following paragraphs of the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

**280 **Creation is the foundation of “all God’s saving plans,” the “beginning of the history of salvation” that culminates in Christ. Conversely, the mystery of Christ casts conclusive light on the mystery of creation and reveals the end for which “in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”: from the beginning, God envisaged the glory of the new creation in Christ.

**1721 **God put us in the world to know, to love, and to serve him, and so to come to paradise. Beatitude makes us “partakers of the divine nature” and of eternal life. With beatitude, man enters into the glory of Christ and into the joy of the Trinitarian life.

1046 For the cosmos, Revelation affirms the profound common destiny of the material world and man:

*For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God . . . in hope because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay. . . . We know that the whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.*

**400 **The harmony in which they had found themselves, thanks to original justice, is now destroyed: the control of the soul’s spiritual faculties over the body is shattered; the union of man and woman becomes subject to tensions, their relations henceforth marked by lust and domination. Harmony with creation is broken: visible creation has become alien and hostile to man. Because of man, creation is now subject “to its bondage to decay”.Finally, the consequence explicitly foretold for this disobedience will come true: man will “return to the ground”,for out of it he was taken. Death makes its entrance into human history.

1741 Liberation and salvation. By his glorious Cross Christ has won salvation for all men. He redeemed them from the sin that held them in bondage. “For freedom Christ has set us free.” In him we have communion with the “truth that makes us free.” The Holy Spirit has been given to us and, as the Apostle teaches, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” Already we glory in the “liberty of the children of God.”

2630 The New Testament contains scarcely any prayers of lamentation, so frequent in the Old Testament. In the risen Christ the Church’s petition is buoyed by hope, even if we still wait in a state of expectation and must be converted anew every day. Christian petition, what St. Paul calls {“groaning,” arises from another depth, that of creation “in labor pains” and that of ourselves “as we wait for the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved.” In the end, however, “with sighs too deep for words” the Holy Spirit “helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words.”

735 He, then, gives us the “pledge” or “first fruits” of our inheritance: the very life of the Holy Trinity, which is to love as “God [has] loved us.” This love (the “charity” of 1 Cor 13) is the source of the new life in Christ, made possible because we have received “power” from the Holy Spirit.

 

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Here is a meditation on the 2nd Reading for practical application from Catholic Matters:

**APPLICATION: **God’s creation of the world was an act of sheer benevolence. He wished to share his own infinite perfection and happiness with creatures, who could enjoy that perfection and happiness because of the superior gifts with which he endowed them. These creatures were men—the human race. All the other creatures, the inanimate kingdom, plant kingdom, and animal kingdom were intended for man’s service while he was on this earth. Man was the masterpiece of God’s creative action, and was to be the master of all the lesser creatures.

God’s eternal plan for making man a sharer in his own eternal happiness was to be brought about by the extraordinary act of divine love and condescension which we call the Incarnation. God the Son was to become man, unite our human created nature with his divinity, in the historical Jesus Christ, and thus raise man to brotherhood with Christ and sonship of God the Father.

This act of divine love was for all mankind, for the millions who lived and died before Christ came on earth, as well as for the billions who have lived and will live on earth after his coming. Men sinned before he came, men sinned and will sin after his coming, but Christ’s death on the cross made infinite atonement to his Father, the good God whom men had offended, so that, if only the sinner repents, all sins are wiped out by God.

Heaven is thus open to all men of good-will. God, who is Love, has infinite ways of reaching the hearts of sinners and bringing them to repentance. But we Christians, who are fully acquainted with all that God has done for us, are obliged to do all in our power to make this loving God, and his plans for their eternal happiness, known to those who are still ignorant of him. Any Christian, who really appreciates what God has done for him, will feel compelled, out of gratitude, to help to bring this knowledge to God’s other sons who are still in the darkness of paganism, old or new, but who are God’s adopted children even though they are not aware of the fact.

Fidelity and true loyalty to the Christian life and teaching, which it is our privilege to have, are prime factors in helping to spread among those who do not yet possess it, the knowledge of God and his plans for all men. Fervent prayer for the conversion of sinners is another means within the reach of all of us, and a very effective means. Instead of that novena for the health of some relative or for some temporal need which seems so important, let us offer it for the conversion of some unbelievers or sinners that we know, and God will prove himself big enough and generous enough to grant us both requests. When we find life difficult, and cross laid upon cross, let us not forget what St. Paul tells us today: “the sufferings of the present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” What are a few years of pain of body or mental unhappiness, when compared with an eternity of peace and happiness in the world to come? We are exiles returning home, and we have to work our passage or earn our way. But we are certain of reaching our happy home, if we work that passage diligently and patiently and cheerfully.

 

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Gospel Reading: Matthew 13:1-23

* This week’s Gospel reading brings us to Matthew 13, a chapter of parables told by Jesus broken up in such a way that he can explain their meaning. The crowds Jesus is speaking to are so large he needs to get into a boat to avoid being crushed and so that he can be heard by all. He begins with his famous parable of the Sower and the seeds.

* The soil in Israel was of uneven quality: Seed had to be spread everywhere since finding the “good” soil was too time consuming. The “rocky ground” was not filled with stones; rather, it was composed of thin soil over hard limestone. Also, the thorny weeds commonly found in that area were not pulled up, but plowed under and mixed with the soil.

* In his parable, Jesus addresses in turn the Sower (verses 1-8), the non-listeners (verses 10-15), the listeners (verses 16-17), and the right understanding (verses18-22) that leads to fruitfulness in the Spirit (verse 23). See also Matthew 7:16-20, 12:33; John 15:5 and Galatians 5:22-23.

Here is the Gospel Reading as we will hear it this Sunday [you may hear the shorter alternative version, verses 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.”

The disciples approached him and said,
“Why do you speak to them in parables?”
He said to them in reply,
“Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven
has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.
To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich;
from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
This is why I speak to them in parables, because
they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.
Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:
You shall indeed hear but not understand,
you shall indeed look but never see.
Gross is the heart of this people,
they will hardly hear with their ears,
they have closed their eyes,
lest they see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts and be converted,
and I heal them.

“But blessed are your eyes, because they see,
and your ears, because they hear.
Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people
longed to see what you see but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

“Hear then the parable of the sower.
The seed sown on the path is the one
who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it,
and the evil one comes and steals away
what was sown in his heart.
The seed sown on rocky ground
is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.
But he has no root and lasts only for a time.
When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
he immediately falls away.
The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word,
but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word
and it bears no fruit.
But the seed sown on rich soil
is the one who hears the word and understands it,
who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”

 

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From the *Navarre Bible *commentary [the RSC-CE text can be found http://jmom.honlam.org/rsvce/”]here]:

**3. **Chapter 13 of St. Matthew includes as many as seven of Jesus’ parables, which is the reason why it is usually called “the parable discourse” or the “parabolic discourse”. Because of their similarity of content and setting these parables are often called the “Kingdom parables”, and also the “parables of the Lake”, because Jesus taught them on the shore of Lake Gennesaret. Jesus uses these elaborate comparisons (parables) to explain certain features of the Kingdom of God which He has come to establish (cf. Matthew 3:2)–its tiny, humble origins; its steady growth; its worldwide scope; its salvific force. God calls everyone to salvation but only those attain it who receive God’s call with good dispositions and who do not change their attitude; the value of the spiritual benefits the Kingdom brings–so valuable that one should give up everything to obtain them; the fact that good and bad are all mixed together until the harvest time, or the time of God’s judgment; the intimate connection between earthly and heavenly aspects of the Kingdom, until it reaches its point of full development at the end of time.

On Jesus’ lips, parables are exceptionally effective. By using parables He keeps His listeners’ attention, whether they are uneducated or not, and by means of the most ordinary things of daily life He sheds light on the deepest supernatural mysteries. He used the parable device in a masterly way; His parables are quite unique; they carry the
seal of His personality; through them He has graphically shown us the riches of grace, the life of the Church, the demands of the faith and even the mystery of God’s own inner life.

Jesus’ teaching continues to provide every generation with light and guidance on moral conduct. By reading and reflecting on His parables one can savor the adorable humanity of the Savior, who showed such kindness to the people who crowded around to hear Him–and who shows the same readiness to listen to our prayers, despite our dullness, and to reply to our healthy curiosity when we try to make out His meaning.

3-8. Anyone who has visited the fertile plain to the west of the Lake of Gennesaret will appreciate Jesus’ touching description in the parable of the sower. The plain is crisscrossed by paths; it is streaked with rocky ground, often with the rocks lying just beneath the surface, and with the courses of rivulets, dry for most of the year but still retaining some moisture. Here and there are clumps of large thorn bushes. When the agricultural worker sows seed in this mixed kind of land, he knows that some seed will fare better than others.

9. Jesus did not explain this parable there and then. It was quite usual for parables to be presented in the first instance as a kind of puzzle to gain the listener’s attention, excite his curiosity and fix the parable in his memory. It may well be that Jesus wanted to allow his more interested listeners to identify themselves by coming back to hear Him again–as happened with His disciples. The rest–who listened out of idle curiosity or for too human reasons (to see Him work miracles)–would not benefit from hearing a more detailed and deeper explanation of the parable.

Continued on the next post…

 

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10-13. The kind of Kingdom Jesus was going to establish did not suit the Judaism of His time, largely because of the Jew’s nationalistic, earthbound idea of the Messiah to come. In His preaching Jesus takes account of the different outlooks of His listeners, as can be seen in the attitudes described in the parable of the sower. If people were well disposed to Him, the enigmatic nature of the parable would stimulate their interest; and Jesus later did give His many disciples a fuller explanation of its meaning; but there was no point in doing this if people were not ready to listen.

Besides, parables–as indeed any type of comparison or analogy—are used to reveal or explain something which is not easy to understand, as was the case with the supernatural things Jesus was explaining. One has to shade one’s eyes to see things if the sun is too bright; otherwise, one is blinded and sees nothing. Similarly, parables help
to shade supernatural brightness to allow the listener to grasp meaning without being blinded by it.

These verses also raise a very interesting question: how can divine revelation and grace produce such widely differing responses in people? What is at work here is the mystery of divine grace–which is an unmerited gift–and of man’s response to this grace. What Jesus says here underlines man’s responsibility to be ready to accept God’s
grace and to respond to it. Jesus’ reference to Isaiah (Matthew 13:14-15) is a prophecy of that hardness of heart which is a punishment meted out to those who resist grace.

These verses need to be interpreted in the light of three points: 1) Jesus Christ loved everyone, including people of His own home town: He gave His life in order to save all men; 2) the parable is a literary form designed to get ideas across clearly: its ultimate aim is to teach, not to mislead or obscure; 3) lack of appreciation for divine grace is something blameworthy, which does merit punishment; however, Jesus did not come directly to punish anyone, but rather to save everyone.

**12. **Jesus is addressing His disciples and explaining to them that, precisely because they have faith in Him and want to have a good grasp of His teaching, they will be given a deeper understanding of divine truths. But those who do not “follow Him” (cf. note on Matthew 4:18-22) will later lose interest in the things of God and will grow ever blinder: it is as if the little they have is being taken away from them.

This verse also helps us understand the meaning of the parable of the sower, a parable which gives a wonderful explanation of the supernatural economy of divine grace: God gives grace, and man freely responds to that grace. The result is that those who respond to grace generously receive additional grace and so grow steadily in grace and
holiness; whereas those who reject God’s gifts become closed up within themselves; through their selfishness and attachment to sin they eventually lose God’s grace entirely. In this verse, then, our Lord gives a clear warning: with the full weight of His divine authority He exhorts us–without taking away our freedom–to act responsibly: the
gifts God keeps sending us should yield fruit; we should make good use of the opportunities for Christian sanctification which are offered us in the course of our lives.

Concluded on the next post…

 

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14-15. Only well-disposed people grasp the meaning of God’s words. It is not enough just to hear them physically. In the course of Jesus’ preaching the prophetic words of Isaiah come true once again.

However, we should not think that not wanting to hear or to understand was something exclusive to certain contemporaries of Jesus; each one of us is at times hard of hearing, hard-hearted and dull-minded in the presence of God’s grace and saving word. Moreover, it is not enough to be familiar with the teaching of the Church: it is absolutely necessary to put the faith into practice, with all that that implies, morally and ascetically. Jesus was fixed to the wood of the Cross not only by nails and by the sins of certain Jews but also by our sins—sins committed centuries later but which afflicted the Sacred Humanity of Jesus Christ, who bore the burden of our sins. See the note on Mark 4:11-12.

16-17. In contrast with the closed attitude of many Jews who witnessed Jesus’ life but did not believe in Him, the disciples are praised by our Lord for their docility to grace, their openness to recognizing Him as the Messiah and to accepting His teaching.

He calls His disciples blessed, happy. As He says, the prophets and just men and women of the Old Testament had for centuries lived in hope of enjoying one day the peace the future Messiah would bring, but they had died without experiencing this good fortune. Simeon, towards the end of his long life, was filled with joy on seeing the infant Jesus when He was presented in the temple: “He took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said, `Lord now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word; for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation’” (Luke 2:28-30). During our Lord’s public life, His disciples were fortunate enough to see and be on close terms with Him; later they would recall that incomparable gift, and one of them would begin his first letter in these words: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life; …] that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing this that our [or: your] joy may be complete (1 John 1:1-4).

This exceptional good fortune was, obviously, not theirs but of special merit: God planned it; it was He who decided that the time had come for the Old Testament prophecies to be fulfilled. In any event, God gives every soul opportunities to meet Him: each of us has to be sensitive enough to grasp them and not let them pass. There were many men and women in Palestine who saw and heard the incarnate Son of God but did not have the spiritual sensitivity to see in Him what the Apostles and disciples saw.

**19. **He does not understand because he does not love–not because he is not clever enough: lack of love opens the door of the soul to the devil.

 

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The very lengthy commentary on the Gospel Reading from the 1859 Haydock Commentary, can be found here.

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The Gospel Reading is cited or alluded to in the following paragraphs of the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

1724 The Decalogue, the Sermon on the Mount, and the apostolic catechesis describe for us the paths that lead to the Kingdom of heaven. Sustained by the grace of the Holy Spirit, we tread them, step by step, by everyday acts. By the working of the Word of Christ, we slowly bear fruit in the Church to the glory of God.

**546 **Jesus’ invitation to enter his kingdom comes in the form of parables, a characteristic feature of his teaching. Through his parables he invites people to the feast of the kingdom, but he also asks for a radical choice: to gain the kingdom, one must give everything. Words are not enough, deeds are required. The parables are like mirrors for man: will he be hard soil or good earth for the word? What use has he made of the talents he has received? Jesus and the presence of the kingdom in this world are secretly at the heart of the parables. One must enter the kingdom, that is, become a disciple of Christ, in order to “know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven”. For those who stay “outside”, everything remains enigmatic.

29 But this “intimate and vital bond of man to God” (GS 19 § 1) can be forgotten, overlooked, or even explicitly rejected by man. Such attitudes can have different causes: revolt against evil in the world; religious ignorance or indifference; the cares and riches of this world; the scandal of bad example on the part of believers; currents of thought hostile to religion; finally, that attitude of sinful man which makes him hide from God out of fear and flee his call.

 

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Here is a meditation on the Gospel Reading for practical application from Catholic Matters:

APPLICATION: Christ’s description of his audience, that day in Galilee, is unfortunately as true today as it was then. His message of salvation has been preached to a great part of the world’s population, but the proportion of those who accept it and live up to it, is about the same today as it was then.

There are millions of men and women today, in what was once Christian Europe, who are like the seed sown on the unplowed path. They refuse to accept the message, they have no thought for their future, they are content to end in the grave after their few years of misery and hardship on this planet.

There are others who see the truth and the consolation of the Christian gospel, but when it comes to making sacrifices for it, they give up. The message did not sink into their hearts and minds. They are like the seed which fell on rocky ground because the faith had no deep roots in their lives. Others again, and they are legion, are like the seed that fell among the briars and thorns. They accepted the faith and it took root in them but later on, “the cares of the world and the delight in riches chokes the word and it proves unfruitful,”—these are our Lord’s own words.

The last class of Christians, are like the seed sown on good soil. They not only accept Christ and his teaching, but they live up to it, and, come what may, they are faithful to it. These will produce fruit and will earn for themselves eternal happiness.

Each one of us can look into his own conscience today and discover to which class he or she belongs. The fact that we are here, shows that at least we are still Christians; so we do not belong to the first class—the gospel seed did not fall on the hardened path. But what of the other classes? Are some of us perhaps, like the seed that fell on the rocky ground? While Christianity makes no very difficult demand we are all for it, but when it demands mortification, the curbing of passion, real sacrifices for our neighbor, do we forget our Christian calling then and ignore its precepts? And how does our type of Christianity stand up to the temptations of the world—the desire to get all the enjoyment we can out of this life, licit or illicit, breaking God’s commandments weekly or maybe daily? Are we chasing after wealth and power, using all our energies to rise in the world to be above our neighbor by fair or foul means? If the above are our aims in life, our Christianity has been or is being choked out of us.

Let us hope that we all can number ourselves among those Christians who have sown their Christian faith in good soil and who will produce the fruit of eternal life. If we are truly honest with ourselves, the vast majority of us can say that there is a little streak of the stony and thorny ground in our hearts. Our courage must come from the fact that we have a merciful Father, who understands us and who is ever ready to pardon all past faults, if we humbly repent of them.

There are millions of saints in heaven today, enjoying eternal happiness, who had some, if not all, of our present failings. We, too, can be with them one day, provided we do what they did. They repented sincerely and remained God’s close friends, until he called them to himself. May the merciful God give us the grace to imitate them while we yet have time.

 

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Some questions on the Readings for personal study and reflection:

* In the 1st Reading, what does the prophet Isaiah tell us about the effectiveness of God’s word? How does this relate to the Gospel Reading?

* How does the 2nd Reading convey the reality that the Kingdom of God is “now present” but “not yet”?

* What is a parable? What do they accomplish that simple and direct speech lacks?

* What four types of soil does Jesus mention? What characterizes each? What happens to the seed in each type of soil?

* What does Jesus’ explanation of the parable (vv 18-23) reveal about the seed? About the various soils? The fruit? The Sower?

* How does Jesus’ challenge in verse 9 help explain verses 11-12? How does faith open you up to more and more spiritual insight?

* What deep “roots” help to prevent a Christian from falling away? What gives you roots?

* What worries can choke your growth in Christ? How can you free your life from these “thorns”?

* What “crop” does Jesus want Christians to yield? What can you do to increase your productivity?

It is fitting for us, meditating upon the glory of this [future] splendor, to endure all afflictions and persecutions because, although the afflictions of the just man are many, yet those who trust in God are delivered from them all. ~St Cyprian of Carthage (ca. 250 A.D.)

 

[GraceSofia]

The Gospel Reading is cited or alluded to in the following paragraphs of the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

Thanks for all of the great information you have assembled for us.These Catechism references are a brilliant idea!



Have a blessed Sunday!

 

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Thanks for all of the great information you have assembled for us.These Catechism references are a brilliant idea!



Have a blessed Sunday!

You’re very welcome. I hope your Sunday is likewise blessed.

 

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A reflection on the Readings from Dr. Scott Hahn at The St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology:

The Word’s Return

Today’s readings, like last week’s, ask us to meditate on Israel’s response to God’s Word—and our own. Why do some hear the word of the kingdom, yet fail to accept it as a call to conversion and faith in Jesus? That question underlies today’s Gospel, especially.

Again we see, as we did last week, that the kingdom’s mysteries are unfolded to those who open their hearts, making of them a rich soil in the which the Word can grow and bear fruit.

As we sing in today’s Psalm, in Jesus, God’s Word has visited our land, to water the stony earth of our hearts with the living waters of the Spirit (see John 7:38; Revelation 22:1).

The firstfruit of the Word is the Spirit of love and adoption poured into our hearts in baptism, making us children of God, as Paul reminds us in today’s Epistle (see Romans 5:5; 8:15-16). In this, we are made a “new creation” (see 2 Corinthians 5:17), the firstfruits of a new heaven and a new earth (see 2 Peter 3:13).

Since the first humans rejected God’s Word, creation has been enslaved to futility (see Genesis 3:17-19; 5:29). But God’s Word does not go forth only to return to Him void, as we hear in today’s First Reading.

His Word awaits our response. We must show ourselves to be children of that Word. We must allow that Word to accomplish God’s will in our lives. As Jesus warns today, we must take care lest the devil steal it away or lest it be choked by worldly concerns.
In the Eucharist, the Word gives himself to us as bread to eat. He does so that we might be made fertile, yielding fruits of holiness.

And we await the crowning of the year, the great harvest of the Lord’s Day (see Mark 4:29; 2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 1:10)—when His Word will have achieved the end for which it was sent.

 

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From the Daily Scripture Reading & Meditation website:

"Why do you speak to them in parables?"

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-23

Meditation: 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)

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?

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. 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”. *

 

[Fidelis]

From Presentation Ministries:

SOW THE WORD CONSTANTLY

*“A farmer went out sowing.” *—Matthew 13:4

How often have you heard a Scripture passage twenty times and on the twenty-first time you hear it, the Holy Spirit makes the passage finally “jump off the page”? You receive a profound new insight into the meaning of the passage. The Word of God comes alive for you.

The Holy Spirit does this work in us. The Spirit is also working the same way in the hearts of others. That’s why we must constantly sow the Word of God (Mt 13:4). The Word that we sow might be that twenty-first time the Holy Spirit requires to touch a person’s heart. Our sowing might be that juicy bait the Lord uses to finally catch a hungry soul He has been working on for years (see Lk 5:4). Our evangelizing might be the seed that next year will produce a harvest thirty-, sixty-, or a hundredfold (Mt 13:8).

A farmer sowing seed can’t see what’s under the surface of the soil. A fisherman usually can’t see what’s under the surface of the water, though sometimes he might get a glimpse. When we evangelize for Jesus, if we go only by what we see on the surface, we might make a wrong judgment and decide not to drop a line or plant a seed. We might miss a good catch or a fruitful harvest, even in an unlikely place, if we don’t try to evangelize.

God spreads the seed and the water everywhere in today’s readings. God never stops sowing, and He always gets results (Is 55:11). The Lord doesn’t go by what is on the surface (see 1 Sm 16:7). We must do the same, and sow the Word of God in all places, even those that seem unlikely for success.

**Prayer: **

Father, I will spread Your Word at all times, whether convenient or inconvenient (2 Tm 4:2).
**
Promise: **“I consider the sufferings of the present to be as nothing compared to the glory to be revealed in us.” —Rm 8:18

Praise: Praise Jesus, Who penetrates our hearts and minds with His undying love!

 

[Fidelis]

From The Word Among Us devotional magazine:

“He spoke to them … in parables.” (Matthew 13:3)

You’ve probably heard many homilies. Which ones have stuck with you? Close your eyes for a minute, and try to recall one.

If you’re like most people, you remembered this one because it featured a compelling, memorable story. And this, as the title of a recent business book puts it, produced a message that is Made to Stick.

Jesus was a master of “sticky” messages, parables like today’s Gospel reading of the sower and the seed. They are not short stories like the kind you would find in an anthology or tell as a bedtime tale. Usually quite short, Jesus’ parables might be a simple image or description from ordinary life; if they’re stories, they often take a surprising twist. But always, they offer a comparison between something we know (a seed, a banquet, a lost sheep) and something that Jesus wants us to understand (the kingdom of God, the Father’s love).

Jesus’ parables stick with us because they open our minds and invite us into the story, which, if we have ears to hear, is endlessly deep. Each parable is like the seed in today’s Gospel—alive, good in every season, and capable of yielding an abundant harvest year after year, if the soil is receptive.

In a way, Jesus himself is the most wondrous parable of all. His life, to quote another book title, is truly The Greatest Story Ever Told. The whole gospel story presents the gripping drama of a Father who longs to save his children; about his Son, whose love moves him to carry out the ultimate rescue mission; about the Holy Spirit who empowered Jesus and now fills and transforms us into the likeness of Christ.

And now that greatest of stories continues on in each of us. Will its message stick? It’s up to us.
*
“Welcome, Master of the harvest! Sow your word in every part of me. Grow whatever crop you desire. I want to know you and love you more each day.”*

Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion:

1. In the first reading, God tells us through the metaphor of rain how fruitful his word is, always “achieving the end” for which he sent it. What part does the word of God play in your life? What can you do this week to devote more time to Scripture reading?

1. In the responsorial psalm, again we read of the role of rain in preparing, “breaking,” “softening,” and “blessing” the land to yield a “rich harvest.” Can you think of a time when God’s word softened your heart and lead to fruitful changes in your life?

1. In the letter to the Romans, St. Paul speaks of the hope we have that “creation itself would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God.” Where in your life have you known victory over sin and “freedom” as a child of God?

1. In the Gospel, we read once again of the seed and the harvest. Which of the soils described in the Parable of the Sower best describes the state of your heart? What steps can you take to make your heart a “rich soil” that “hears the word and understand it” and “bears fruit”?

1. Jesus also speaks of those who look but do not see, and those who hear but do not listen. When receiving the Eucharist at Mass, how careful are you to prepare your heart and mind to really see and listen? What about prior to hearing the Sunday Mass readings? Try taking some additional steps to prepare your heart and mind at Mass. You may be surprised at what happens…

1. The Gospel and the meditation speak of thorns. What thorns, big or small, may be keeping Jesus at a distance in your life?

1. The meditation ends with these words: “The whole gospel story presents the gripping drama of a Father who longs to save his children; about his Son, whose love moves him to carry out the ultimate rescue mission; about the Holy Spirit who empowered Jesus and now fills and transforms us into the likeness of Christ. And now that greatest of stories continues on in each of us. Will its message stick? It’s up to us.” In what ways do you allow the power of the Gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit to transform you “into the likeness of Christ”? How can you do even better?

1. Take some time now to pray that the Lord would prepare your heart and mind to receive more of his Word, so that it would transform you and bear much fruit in your life. Use the prayer at the end of the meditation as the starting point.

 

[Fidelis]

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 10, 2011

To help us prepare for this coming Sunday, here are the readings, studies and reflections for this coming Sunday’s Scripture readings. This Sunday is the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A.

Here are the Scripture readings from the U.S. Catholic bishops website.

My own weekly study can be found here under “Current Study.”

Here are three audio reflections on the readings by Sister Ann Shields, Dr. Scott Hahn, Fr. Robert Barron.

Here are a pair of Catholic Bible study podcasts (each about an hour long):

• St. Martha’s Adult Faith Formation.
• Franciscan Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother

*The Navarre Bible Commentary *for each reading can be viewed here.

Further study resources for the Readings: St. Charles Borromeo Bible Study can be found here, and Catholic Matters can be found here.

Please consider supporting those who provide these free resources.

I will be traveling this weekend, so updates might be coming a little slow this week. Thanks for your patience!

Discussion, questions and charitable comments are always welcome. Have a blessed week!

 

[kelvinf]

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 10, 2011

To help us prepare for this coming Sunday, here are the readings, studies and reflections for this coming Sunday’s Scripture readings. This Sunday is the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A.

Here are the Scripture readings from the U.S. Catholic bishops website.

My own weekly study can be found here under “Current Study.”

Here are three audio reflections on the readings by Sister Ann Shields, Dr. Scott Hahn, Fr. Robert Barron.

Here are a pair of Catholic Bible study podcasts (each about an hour long):

• St. Martha’s Adult Faith Formation.
• Franciscan Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother

*The Navarre Bible Commentary *for each reading can be viewed here.

Further study resources for the Readings: St. Charles Borromeo Bible Study can be found here, and Catholic Matters can be found here.

Please consider supporting those who provide these free resources.

I will be traveling this weekend, so updates might be coming a little slow this week. Thanks for your patience!

Discussion, questions and charitable comments are always welcome. Have a blessed week!

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Wheat_scab.jpg

Wish you traveling mercies!

 

[Fidelis]

1st Reading - Wisdom 12:13, 16-19

The Book of Wisdom, also called the Wisdom of Solomon, is believed to have been written in the first century before Christ by a Greek-speaking Jew of Alexandria in Egypt. The Egyptian rulers from Ptolemy VIII (116 B.C.) to Cleopatra (30 B.C.) were not well-disposed toward their Jewish subjects. The Jewish religion was despised by the powerful, the wealthy, and the learned. The faith of the Jews was in constant danger of corruption from idolatry and false philosophy. To strengthen the faith of his co-religionists, to console them in their afflictions, to raise their hearts above the sordidness and immorality by which they were surrounded-- this was the main purpose of the writer of the Book of Wisdom. But he also had another purpose in view. Many Jews, anxious to gain the good will of the Egyptians, had faltered in their allegiance to Yahweh and gone over to the camp of the enemy. To these unfortunates the sacred writer addresses himself time and again, warning them of the impending judgment of God and conjuring them to return to the path of true Wisdom which alone leads to perfect happiness.

The Book of Wisdom was not written merely for the Jews sojourning in Egypt, but for all men of all times. Every Jew who read it must have been filled with the joyous conviction that God would never forsake His people, and that Israel’s religious ideals were bound to gain the final victory over the pagan world. The Christian finds in it the highest religious and moral lessons-- lessons which are of paramount importance today, just as they were over two thousand years ago. The frivolity of the ungodly, the trials and consolations of the pious, the utter discomfiture of the wicked and the serene confidence of the just in the day of judgment, the glorious origin and the supreme excellence of Wisdom, the humble dependence on God of the true seeker after Wisdom-- all this is described with a warmth and vividness that cannot but move the heart to its depths and attract it irresistibly to the love and service of God.

In our first reading today the sacred author speaks of God’s merciful discipline of sinners.

Here is the 1st Reading, as we will hear it this Sunday:

There is no god besides you who have the care of all,
that you need show you have not unjustly condemned.
For your might is the source of justice;
your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all.
For you show your might when the perfection of your power is disbelieved;
and in those who know you, you rebuke temerity.
But though you are master of might, you judge with clemency,
and with much lenience you govern us;
for power, whenever you will, attends you.
And you taught your people, by these deeds,
that those who are just must be kind;
and you gave your children good ground for hope
that you would permit repentance for their sins.