Weekly Reflections

Sunday July 12th 2020: Read Br Michael’s Gospel Reflection
The Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The seed is the Word of God

Jesus was a great story teller. His words and parables astonished those who listened to him. In Mark’s gospel we are told, ‘the people who heard him were amazed at the way he taught… he taught with authority.’ (1.22). To use a modern phrase, he knew his audience well. He used symbols, words and images that they knew from their own daily working lives. He spoke about food and wine, bread and cooking, fishing, shepherds and sheep. In the gospel today, Jesus uses the farming image of sowing seeds to speak about a much deeper reality; the word of God.

A farmer sows seeds. Some of the seeds fall on the path and are eaten by birds. More seeds falls where there is no soil and no roots are produced. Seed falls among the thorns are choked. The remaining seeds fall on rich soil, take root and produce a huge crop. Those who were listening to Jesus, mainly a rural farming people would have immediately understood what Jesus was saying. For us today, who live in towns and cities, what are we to make of what Jesus words?

The first reading today says, ‘….the Lord says, the word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty without carrying out my will and succeeding in what it was sent to do.’ God’s word is powerful and dynamic. In St. Paul’s letter to the Hebrews, he says, ‘The word of God is alive and active.’ What does this mean? I believe this means that the God’s word is alive in each of us; you and me. God’s powerful and life giving word is not ‘out there’ somewhere. It has been sown and planted in each of us by God. This is where the hard works starts!

When any seeds are sown, whether in our gardens or in small flower pots, they need to be nurtured and nourished. They need water, care and our attention. They can’t simply be sown and then ignored; they will struggle to grow and may even die. The word of God that is given to us as a seed is no different. Through prayer and listening to God, we are called to nurture and nourish the word of God that is in us. If we do not tend to it, the seed of God’s word will remain dormant; it won’t become alive and active!

The seed that takes root produces a bountiful crop. This is important. When the word of God that is sown in us is cared for, it will produce life-giving fruits in our lives, not just for ourselves but also for others. The effects of the word of God will be seen in the quality of our daily lives, the work of our hands and in how we treat each other. As Jesus tells us; ‘By their fruits you will know them.’

A man was in the market shopping. Passing a strange stall, he asked the owner what she was selling. She replied that she sold whatever the person needed; peace, love, mercy, compassion; their hearts desire. He was delighted and said he would take a large pack of each. ‘You don’t seem to understand,’ the woman behind the stall replied, ‘I only sell the seeds!

Listen, anyone who has ears!

– Br Michael Moore OMI

Gospel Matthew 13:1-23 ©

A sower went out to sow

Jesus left the house and sat by the lakeside, but such large crowds gathered round him that he got into a boat and sat there. The people all stood on the beach, and he told them many things in parables.

He said, ‘Imagine a sower going out to sow. As he sowed, some seeds fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on patches of rock where they found little soil and sprang up straight away, because there was no depth of earth; but as soon as the sun came up they were scorched and, not having any roots, they withered away. Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Others fell on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Listen, anyone who has ears!’

Then the disciples went up to him and asked, ‘Why do you talk to them in parables?’ ‘Because’ he replied, ‘the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven are revealed to you, but they are not revealed to them. For anyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. The reason I talk to them in parables is that they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding. So in their case this prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled:

You will listen and listen again, but not understand,

see and see again, but not perceive.

For the heart of this nation has grown coarse,

their ears are dull of hearing, and they have shut their eyes,

for fear they should see with their eyes,

hear with their ears,

understand with their heart,

and be converted

and be healed by me.

‘But happy are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear! I tell you solemnly, many prophets and holy men longed to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.

‘You, therefore, are to hear the parable of the sower. 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 man who received the seed on the edge of the path. The one who received it on patches of rock is the man who hears the word and welcomes it at once with joy. But he has no root in him, he does not last; let some trial come, or some persecution on account of the word, and he falls away at once. The one who received the seed in thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this world and the lure of riches choke the word and so he produces nothing. And the one who received the seed in rich soil is the man who hears the word and understands it; he is the one who yields a harvest and produces now a hundredfold, now sixty, now thirty.’

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Weekly Reflections

Sunday July 12th 2020: Read Br Michael’s Gospel Reflection
The Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel Matthew 13:1-23 ©

A sower went out to sow

Prayer Intentions