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| “Sower with Setting Sun” by Vincent Van Gogh, 1888 |
Readings for Friday of the
Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
Readings from the Jerusalem
Bible [2]
Readings and Commentary: [3]
Reading 1: Jeremiah 3:14-17
Return, rebellious children,
says the LORD,
for I am your Master;
I will take you, one from a
city, two from a clan,
and bring you to Zion.
I will appoint over you
shepherds after my own heart,
who will shepherd you wisely
and prudently.
When you multiply and become
fruitful in the land,
says the LORD,
They will in those days no
longer say,
"The ark of the covenant
of the LORD!"
They will no longer think of
it, or remember it,
or miss it, or make another.
At that time they will call
Jerusalem the LORD's throne;
there all nations will be
gathered together
to honor the name of the LORD
at Jerusalem,
and they will walk no longer
in their hardhearted wickedness.
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Commentary on Jer 3:14-17
"The
fall of the city to the armies of Nebuchadnezzar and the deportations that
followed (587 BC) marked the depth of Judah's misfortune; her repeated
infidelity was the sole cause. Here, as in the previous oracle, the prophet
[Jeremiah] says that God is ready to receive Israel and Judah back, provided
they seek his forgiveness (Jeremiah 3:12-13)." [4]
Jeremiah,
speaking in the prophetic voice of God, introduces a new idea. Previously the
Hebrew peoples saw the Ark of the Covenant as the focus of God’s presence on
earth (Exodus 25:8ff). A day
was coming when Jerusalem would become that focus, and the temple in Jerusalem
would come to be called the Throne of the Lord. When that occurred, the people
would be united in their dedication to the Lord and they would no longer be led
astray.
CCC: Jer
2-3 1611; Jer
3:4-19 370
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Responsorial Psalm: Jeremiah 31:10, 11-12abcd, 13
R. (see 10d)
The Lord will guard us as a shepherd
guards his flock.
Hear the word of the LORD, O
nations,
proclaim it on distant isles,
and say:
He who scattered Israel, now
gathers them together,
he guards them as a shepherd
his flock.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his
flock.
The LORD shall ransom Jacob,
he shall redeem him from the
hand of his conqueror.
Shouting, they shall mount
the heights of Zion,
they shall come streaming to
the LORD's blessings:
The grain, the wine, and the
oil,
the sheep and the oxen.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his
flock.
Then the virgins shall make
merry and dance,
and young men and old as
well.
I will turn their mourning
into joy,
I will console and gladden
them after their sorrows.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his
flock.
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Commentary on Jer 31:10, 11-12abcd, 13
The
prophet Jeremiah foresees the return of the people from exile and the joyful
restoration of Jerusalem. The people rejoice as they return to
prosperity, led by the Lord, the faithful shepherd who accomplishes this saving
act. As in Isaiah
42:10 and Isaiah 49:1, all
nations are called to witness God’s saving hand stretched out to his people.
The
song from Jeremiah recalls the Diaspora, the exile of the Hebrews. In these
strophes, the prophet sees the salvific work of God who shepherds his people as
they return from exile in the “new exodus,” and the reunification of the
people. He prophesies their return to the land from which they had been
driven, giving praise to God for his mercy.
CCC:
Jer 31 1611
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Gospel: Matthew 13:18-23
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Hear 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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Commentary on Mt 13:18-23
This passage from St. Matthew is the explanation of the “Parable
of the Sower.” This explanation is given to the disciples as St. Matthew’s way
of explaining it to his broader audience. It follows Jesus’ earlier response to
their question about why he teaches using parables and his lament that many
will not see the message contained or hear these teachings.
“Jesus here acts as ‘mystagogue,’ initiating the disciples into
the ‘mystery,’ or secret meaning, of the parable. The incarnate Logos, Jesus of
Nazareth, is the One in whom the eternal Wisdom both devised and realized the
structure of the cosmic order, the structure of man’s being, as well as the
plan for our redemption. […] For this reason, only can he personally reveal the
internal meaning, workings, and interconnections of these various planes of the
divine creativity.” [5]
CCC:
Mt 13:3-23 1724; Mt
13:22 29
-------------------------------------------------
Reflection
We reflect on the amazing
imagery of the parable of the Sower. This parable is so rich for us because not
only do we look at it and see ourselves as the seed (and the various
circumstances of its growth) but we can also see ourselves as the sower. We can
even look at ourselves as the soil in which the seed falls.
If we see ourselves as the seed,
we concern ourselves with accepting God’s word in our hearts so we can put out
deep roots. When we do so we cannot be snatched away, the sun cannot burn us
and the weeds cannot choke us. As we see, the only way for us to do that is by
constant care and attention. We water ourselves with the sacraments, we feed
ourselves with the word of God and our roots become our prayer.
If we see ourselves as the Sower,
we must have the attitude of Christ. He knew that the life-giving words he
spoke would not generally fall on receptive ears (hence the reason for the
parable in the first place). He (and we) must accept that we have a task to do
as the sower. We must put the seeds of God’s love out there in that vast field
that is the world and trust God to watch over it.
When we see ourselves as the
soil, ah, that is something we can control. We can easily see the seeds of
faith in others. Sometimes that faith has germinated, and we will be the rich
fertile soil that helps it grow. Other times when it has not even germinated,
we encourage it providing examples and nurturing. Sometimes we see it choked by
weeds and we do our best to move that seed to a more wholesome environment. And
sometimes we see the seeds parched due to lack of nourishment and we do our
best to provide it. The hardest part of the parable of the sower is being the
soil.
Today let us pray that we
have the strength to be that seed in good ground. Let us ask God to help us be
good sowers of his love. And finally, we ask God to make us the best possible
soil, encouraging those around us to grow and helping them build the roots of
prayer that will sustain them.
Pax
[1]
The picture is “Sower with Setting Sun” by Vincent Van Gogh, 1888
[2]
S.S. Commemoratio[3]
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 republication is not authorized by USCCB and is
for private use only.
[4]
The Navarre Bible, Major Prophets (Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002),
313-14.
[5]
Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Fire of Mercy Heart of the
Word Volume III (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 2012), 215.
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