Catechism Links[1]
CCC 546: Christ teaches
through parablesCCC 1703-1709: Capacity to know and correspond to the voice of God
CCC 2006-2011: God associates man in working of grace
CCC 1046-1047: Creation part of the new universe
CCC 2707: The value of meditation
 |
| “Sermon from a boat on Lake Genisaret” from the refectory of the Sergius Compound Palestine c. 1892 |
Readings and Commentary:[4]
Reading 1: Isaiah 55:10-11
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.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Is 55:10-11
“The Word comes from God, but it can be heard only when it is soaked up in human life and spoken with human accents. Deutero-Isaiah [Deutero-Isaiah refers to the second half of the book, written during the Babylonian exile.] explains world history, particularly the sacred history of Israel, through the deep, omnipotent presence of the Word (cf. Wisdom 8:1; 2 Corinthians 9:10). M.-E. Boismard attributes to this text the immediate origin of the Johannine theology of the Word (St. John's Prologue [Westminster, 1957] 100). We hear its echo in John's doctrine of the Eucharist-the Word come down from heaven and received as bread (John 6:32, 35).”[5]
-------------------------------------------
Responsorial
Psalm: Psalm 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.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 65:10, 11, 12-13, 14
Psalm 65 is a song of thanksgiving. While the strophes presented
are in gratitude for a bountiful harvest, the image of rain falling on crops
and fields links nicely to the metaphor used in Isaiah
55:10-11. God’s word brings forth a rich harvest causing rejoicing among
those who receive its bounty. There is also an obvious connection to the Parable
of the Sower in Matthew
13:1-23; Mark
4:1-23; Luke 8:5-15.
-------------------------------------------
Reading II: Romans 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.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Rom 8:18-23
“The glory that believers are destined to share with Christ far exceeds the sufferings of the present life. Paul considers the destiny of the created world to be linked with the future that belongs to the believers. As it shares in the penalty of corruption brought about by sin, so also will it share in the benefits of redemption and future glory that comprise the ultimate liberation of God's people.”[7]
CCC: Rom 8:18-23 280; Rom 8:18 1721; Rom 8:19-23 1046; Rom 8:20 400; Rom 8:21 1741; Rom 8:22 2630; Rom 8:23-24 2630; Rom 8:23 735
-------------------------------------------
Gospel: Matthew 13:1-23
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.”
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mt 13:1-23
When questioned on his purpose in using parables, St. Matthew tells us Jesus' response is: “'they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand,” Using this literary form, the Lord hopes to engage the listeners so they will be enlightened. (He paraphrases Isaiah 6:9-10, a warning to the prophet he sends, that those to whom he speaks will not understand). This citation implies that, as in St. Mark’s treatment of this parable (Mark 4:1-23), the difficulty of the metaphor is almost a punishment for the people’s earlier rejection of Jesus' clearer statements.
“The point of the parable is that, in spite of some failure because of opposition and indifference, the message of Jesus about the coming of the kingdom will have enormous success.”[8]
CCC: Mt 13:3-23 1724; Mt 13:3-9 546
-------------------------------------------
Or
Shorter Form: Matthew 13:1-9
On that day, Jesus went
out of the house and sat down by the sea.
Such large crowds
gathered around him
that he got into a boat
and sat down,
and the whole crowd
stood along the shore.
And he spoke to them at
length in parables, saying:
“A sower went out to
sow.
And as he sowed, some
seed fell on the path,
and birds came and ate
it up.
Some fell on rocky
ground, where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once
because the soil was not deep,
and when the sun rose it
was scorched,
and it withered for lack
of roots.
Some seed fell among
thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.
But some seed fell on
rich soil and produced fruit,
a hundred or sixty or
thirtyfold.
Whoever has ears ought
to hear.”
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mt 13:1-9
In this shorter form of
the Gospel only the parable is given without St. Matthew’s description of how
Jesus explained its meaning to the disciples and told them how God has given
them the singular gift, the ability to understand its meaning.
“True illumination comes
from a parable only after something has changed within us and we have come to
accept the divine viewpoint it reveals. Otherwise, the manner in which a
parable supplants neat human logic with God's unfathomable ways can produce confusion
and even irritation and anger on the part of the unregenerate listener. We may
conclude, then, that parables are not a test of human intelligence that
functions like riddles. Rather, they are verbal strategies of grace that test
the willingness of the human heart to surrender to, and be enfolded by, the
always surprising generosity of Wisdom.” [9]
CCC: Mt
13:3-9 546
-------------------------------------------
Homily:
Heavenly
Father, we humbly pray that those suffering from the coronavirus be returned
quickly to full health by the power of your Son’s healing presence, and those
in fear be calmed through the Holy Spirit.
In
Christ’s name we pray. – Amen.
Most people these days
use a computer for one thing or another. As I reflected upon sacred
scripture in preparation for Mass this weekend it struck me that there are two
keys on the keyboard that represent things we can never have: the Control key,
and the Escape key.
The Gospel gives us some
familiar images related to that weakness, does it not? The parable of
“the Sower” is found in all three of the synoptic Gospels; Matthew (heard
today), Mark, and Luke. For us to understand why Jesus uses this parable
we must pay attention to his situation. At the very beginning of the
passage we hear:
“Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat
down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore.”
The Lord must have
looked out at those people. He would
have seen all of their motives. He knew that, with their free will, he would
never control them, and did not wish to escape from them. Some came
because they were curious, others because they had heard parts of the message
and were caught up in it. The thought expressed in the Gospel was popular, and
this young rabbi was amazing (performing miracles and all). Many of those
from the local synagogue would have been prominent business people, interested
in this new approach to their ancient faith. Some of those on the shore
were full of hope; Jesus’ disciples and close friends would have been in this
category. Oh, and the poor and the marginalized they would resonate with Jesus’
message. They would cling to it, seeing their own salvation, if not in
this life, in the next.
All of these different
motives would have been clear to Jesus in an instant as he scanned the faces
turned toward him as he stood in that boat.
Seeing the curious he
said, “some seed fell on the path,
and birds came and ate it up.” These people would not be with him
long. His message of love and hope would not attract them. They
were simply there because they had nothing better to do. We see the same
in our community. They are the ones who might stop to listen to an
argument at work about care for the poor or the unborn and then walk away,
unmoved by the plight of either.
Seeing the next group,
the fad seekers, he said: “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.” These
would be the people who liked the message of hope the Lord proclaimed, but
would not take it to heart. It was only attractive until it became work
to act upon it. Again, we see the same people who come to our community.
They are full of fire until it becomes inconvenient, or some new idea steals
their attention.
Next the Lord addressed
those driven by secular success. This group had such promise but their hearts
were not with Jesus, their hearts were with what their society called
“success.” To these he said: “Some
seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.”
Talented people in our own community are frequently lured into spiritual
failure by worldly values. How true the Gospel is when the Lord said
later: a person can only serve one master
(Luke 16:13; Matthew 6:24). It is the rare person who can achieve
fiscal success while staying focused on the things of God.
And finally, the Lord
looked among that large crowd and saw the faces that peered back at him with
hope and love. His friends and family (Mother Mary was almost certainly
in that crowd) would be among them. To these Jesus says: “But some seed fell on rich soil and produced
fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”
This, of course is the
category we all hope to be in, is it not? We all want to be the good seed
that falls on rich soil. We want our faith to shine out and produce that
rich harvest. Or do we?
Think for a moment about
what he means when the Lord says it produced “much fruit.” That statement means that if we want to be
the good seed, our results for the Lord’s sake must be tangible and
visible. Coming to Mass on Sunday and then burying the message we receive
is exactly what the Prophet Isaiah was talking about in that first reading:
“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.”
What we receive we are
asked to give, to put into use. That is not an easy thing to do outside
these walls, outside of our family (and sometimes even in the family). We
are called to take the message of love into the world even though the world
will not accept it.
I was talking recently
to a friend whose wife had just recently given birth to their first-born. He
told me that during labor, after a particularly sharp contraction, she had said:
“I cannot for the life of me understand why any woman would want to have more
than one child after going through this the first time. I don’t ever want
to do this again.”
He said he was amazed to
hear her say the next day, after she had delivered successfully and was holding
their new daughter: “What a wonderful gift she is to us. Do you think she
would like a brother or sister?” The gift of new life had wiped out the memory
of the pain of labor.
Often, when God’s gifts
are given, we experience pain and discomfort as our lives are literally turned
upside down. And as often as we experience this change, our first
reaction is to reject the gift, seeing the cost as being too
high. St. Paul says that exact thing in the opening of the
passage we were given from his letter to the Romans: “I consider that the sufferings of this
present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us.”
That is the difficult
part of the parable of the Sower. It is not simply recognizing that we
should wish to be the good seed, but rather making the sacrifices necessary to
become the good seed.
At the very beginning of
my remarks I talked about the two keys representing things we could never
really have. I now choose to contradict myself. Because God, in his
wisdom gave us free will, we can choose to control our own actions and
directions. We can choose to be the good seed, escaping the traps set by
the secular world, and in doing so bring the Lord his bountiful harvest.
In this strange year where many of us will not be able to receive
the Blessed Sacrament or celebrate as a community in our houses of worship, we
must be prepared to receive spiritual communion in prayer:
My Jesus,
I believe that You
are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things,
and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment
receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You
were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be
separated from You.
Amen.
Pax
[1]
Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, published by the Congregation for
Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2]
The picture used today is
“Sermon from a boat on Lake Genisaret” from the refectory of the Sergius
Compound Palestine c. 1892.
[4]
The readings are taken
from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response
which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy
(ICEL). This re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use
only.
[5] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc.©
1968, 22:49 p. 380.
[6]
Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. p.268.
[7]
NAB footnote on Romans
8:18ff.
[8]
NAB footnote on Matthew
13:3ff.
[9]
Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume II, Erasmo
Leiva-Merikakis, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 2003 p. 192.
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