Contemplating today's Gospel
Today's Gospel + homily (in 300 words)
»Now then, speak thus to my servant David, ‘The Lord of hosts has this to say: It was I who took you from the pasture and from the care of the flock to be commander of my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you went, and I have destroyed all your enemies before you. And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth. I will fix a place for my people Israel; I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place without further disturbance. Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old, since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel. I will give you rest from all your enemies. The Lord also reveals to you that he will establish a house for you. And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his Kingdom firm. It is he who shall build a house for my name. And I will make his royal throne firm forever. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. And if he does wrong, I will correct him with the rod of men and with human chastisements; but I will not withdraw my favor from him as I withdrew it from your predecessor Saul, whom I removed from my presence. Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever’».
«He shall cry to me, ‘You are my father, my God, the Rock that brings me victory!’. I myself make him firstborn, Most High over the kings of the earth».
«Forever I will maintain my love for him; my covenant with him stands firm. I will establish his dynasty forever, his throne as the days of the heavens».
And when he was alone, those present along with the Twelve questioned him about the parables. He answered them, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been granted to you. But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that ‘they may look and see but not perceive, and hear and listen but not understand, in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven.’”
Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables? The sower sows the word. These are the ones on the path where the word is sown. As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once and takes away the word sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who, when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy. But they have no root; they last only for a time. Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word, but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”
“The sower sows the word”
Fr. Antoni CAROL i Hostench (Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain)Today, we hear our Lord teaching the “Sower's parable”. The example is very current. Our Lord is always “sowing”. Lots of people today also listen to Jesus through his Vicar —the Pope—, his ministers and... his faithful laymen and women: Christ has given a share in his priestly mission to all of us, who have been baptized. There is “hunger” for Jesus. Never ever before our Church has been so Catholic, men and women of all races and colors finding cover under its wings all the over the world. He sends us all over the world (cf. Mk 16:15) and, despite the shadows of the panorama, this has become true in Jesus Christ's apostolic commandment.
The sea, the boat and the shore have been replaced by large venues, screens and modern communication and transport means. However, Jesus today is no different than yesterday. Man and his urge to learn how to love have not changed either. Even today there are those who receive and understand the Word more directly, by grace and gratuitous divine election… it is a mystery! On the other hand, there are many who need more descriptive and deliberated explanations of the Revelation.
In any case, God requests from all of us the fruits of sanctity. The Holy Spirit helps us but not without our personal cooperation. In the first place, diligence is needed. If we react halfway, that is, if we remain at the “border” of the road without entering it, we shall be an easy prey for Satan.
Secondly, we need perseverance in prayer —dialogue—, to be able to get a deeper knowledge and love for Jesus Christ: “Saint without praying...? —I do not believe in this sanctity” (Saint Josemaria Escrivà).
Finally, the spirit of poverty and self-abnegation will prevent our “suffocating” on the way. It better be clear that: “No one can serve two masters...” (Mt 6:24).
In the Virgin Mary we can find the best model of how to react to the God's call.
Thoughts on Today's Gospel
“Care of our soul is just like cultivating the land: pull up what is evil and plant what is good; dig out pride by the root and plant humility; throw away avarice and keep mercy; disdain impurity and love chastity.” (Saint Caesarius of Arles).
“Throwing seed is a gesture of trust and hope; the work of man is necessary, but then he must enter into a time of waiting, knowing well that numerous factors will be determinative for the good outcomes of the harvest and that the risk of a failure is always lurking. And yet, year after year, the farmer repeats his gesture and throws his seed.” (Benedict XVI)
“There are as many and varied methods of meditation as there are spiritual masters. Christians owe it to themselves to develop the desire to meditate regularly, lest they come to resemble the three first kinds of soil in the parable of the sower. But a method is only a guide; the important thing is to advance, with the Holy Spirit, along the one way of prayer: Christ Jesus.” (Catechism Of The Catholic Church, Nº 2707)
