evangeli.net

A team of 200 priests comment on daily Gospel

200 priests comment on daily Gospel

Master·evangeli.net

Today's Gospel + short theological explanation

Saturday 24th in Ordinary Time

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Gospel text (Lk 8,4-15): As a great crowd gathered and people came to him from every town, Jesus began teaching them through stories, or parables, «The sower went out to sow the seed. And as he sowed, some of the grain fell along the way, was trodden on and the birds of the sky ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, and no sooner had it come up than it withered, because it had no water. Some fell among thorns; the thorns grew up with the seed and choked it. But some fell on good soil and grew, producing fruit —a hundred times as much». And Jesus cried out, «Listen then, if you have ears to hear!».

The disciples asked him, «What does this story mean?». And Jesus answered, «You have been granted to know the mystery of the kingdom of God. But to others it is given in the form of stories, or parables, so that seeing they may not perceive and hearing they may not understand (…)».

From the Cross, God “opens our eyes and our ears”

EDITORIAL TEAM evangeli.net (based on texts by Benedict XVI) (Città del Vaticano, Vatican)

Today, after listening to the "parable of the sower", the disciples asked the Master for its meaning. By way of an enigmatic answer, He tells them why He is speaking to the people in parables. In the crux of this answer we can find some words, almost ironical, inspired by Isaiah.

The prophet had “failed” for his message was not "politically correct ". But, throughout this very failure, his words turned out to be effective. It is Jesus Christ’s same fate: The Cross, from which sprouts a great fecundity. Right there, the “parable of the sower" is very descriptive. Jesus’ time is the "sowing seeds" time. The very Jesus is the grain that, "failing" in the Cross, will die, producing fruit —a hundred times as much. Having been raised on the Cross —as He had predicted— He would draw all men to Him.

—Jesus, with You the prophets "failure” can be viewed in a different light: Your Cross is the way to attain that all eyes and ears are opened to God.