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.
Second reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans ROM 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.
PSALM 65,9...
You visit the earth and swater it;2
you greatly enrich it;
tthe river of God is full of water;
uyou provide their grain,
for so you have prepared it.
10 You water its furrows abundantly,
settling its ridges,
softening it with vshowers,
and blessing its growth.
11 You crown the year with your bounty;
your wagon tracks woverflow with abundance.
12 xThe pastures of the wilderness overflow,
the hills ygird themselves with joy,
13 zthe meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
the valleys deck themselves with grain,
they ashout and sing together for joy.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY From the Gospel according to Matthew MT 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.”
HOLY FATHER'S WORDS The sower is Jesus. We note that, with this image, He presents Himself as one who does not impose Himself, but proposes Himself; He does not attract us by conquering us, but by giving Himself: He throws the seed. Let us ask ourselves if our heart is open to accept with faith the seed of the Word of God. Let us ask ourselves if our stones of laziness are still numerous and great; let us identify and call by name the brambles of vices. In doing so, Jesus, the good sower, will be happy to do an additional work: to purify our heart, removing the stones and thorns that suffocate the Word. ANGELUS - Sunday, 16 July 2017
FAUSTI - "The sower went out to sow" Jesus explains the mystery of His life: it is the same as the Kingdom, the same as His Word in us. He sows the "seed of the Word of the Kingdom" with the certainty of the farmer, who knows its vital force. He knows that death does not destroy it, but rather activates its potential. That the seed does not take root, that if it takes root it does not grow, that if it grows it is suffocated, it is the normal condition of every sowing, which then will be fruitful. The seed, now sacrificed, guarantees life for the future. Jesus, the Son of God, is the sower who came out of the Father to sow fraternity among men. And Het is also the seed, the eternal and incorruptible Word that makes the listener a child. And He is also the earth, the Son of man in everything similar to us, who will end up in the tomb. And Het is the harvest: in Him the earth has given its fruit (Ps 67:7). The fruit is God's gift, it is God Himself who gives Himself. And he will always be sower, seed and ground until God is all in all (1 Cor 15:28). He is not a foolish sower who throws his seed on roads, stones and brambles, but a wise sower who generously sows the whole field, knowing from ancient experience that this has guaranteed life to his fathers and will also guarantee it to his children. If he should control where every seed falls, he would reap nothing but his own anxieties. So Jesus sows everywhere. He does not choose land, He does not discard people, we are all God's field(1Cor 3,9). The Son of man is thrown into the heart of the earth, of every man, sign and seed of life for all. A seed, even after thousands of years, like the one found in the pyramids of Egypt, does not lose its strength: it is always able to germinate. Man, too, never loses his identity as a son; beyond the paths that cross him, the stones that he hides and the brambles that dominate him, it is always beautiful land, the mother who welcomes the seed. In spite of everything, the sowing of the Kingdom is fertile above all expectations. Thus Jesus, instead of becoming discouraged by difficulties, expresses the most absolute hope in the Father and in His Word. Sowing is always an act of faith in the seed and in the earth, just as living is always an act of faith in God and in man. And it is certainly worth : "The valleys are covered with wheat, everything sings and cries out in joy" (Ps 65:1- 4). The Lord has not predestined some to understanding, excluding others: He wants all to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4). But he who does not accept Him is not abandoned to himself, lost forever. For him the Word is in parables. These offer the seed that will germinate when those who do not want to understand will at least understand that they do not understand and they will be disposed to place themselves in question. The parable is like a closed package: sooner or later one will open it, if for no other reason than curiosity. Jesus is the One Whom the prophets and saints desired to hear and see: the promised gift of God, God Himself who promised. The Church has the bliss to listen to Him and see Him, to measure how she comes near Him, speaks with Him and listens to Him, recognizing her own hardness of heart, deafness and blindness, asking for healing. Without this attitude, even if it is part of His according to the flesh, it remains "outside" like the others. The four types of terrain, more than four types of man, are the four levels of listening that coexist in us. The community of believers is called to observe their own resistance, not to fail down, but to know what her field of struggle and victory may be. We are called to recognize our resistance, to ask for and obtain freedom from it, and so welcome what He wants to give us.
First reading from the Book of Isaiah
RispondiEliminaIS 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.
Second reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans
ROM 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.
PSALM 65,9...
You visit the earth and swater it;2
you greatly enrich it;
tthe river of God is full of water;
uyou provide their grain,
for so you have prepared it.
10 You water its furrows abundantly,
settling its ridges,
softening it with vshowers,
and blessing its growth.
11 You crown the year with your bounty;
your wagon tracks woverflow with abundance.
12 xThe pastures of the wilderness overflow,
the hills ygird themselves with joy,
13 zthe meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
the valleys deck themselves with grain,
they ashout and sing together for joy.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY
From the Gospel according to Matthew
MT 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.”
HOLY FATHER'S WORDS
RispondiEliminaThe sower is Jesus. We note that, with this image, He presents Himself as one who does not impose Himself, but proposes Himself; He does not attract us by conquering us, but by giving Himself: He throws the seed. Let us ask ourselves if our heart is open to accept with faith the seed of the Word of God. Let us ask ourselves if our stones of laziness are still numerous and great; let us identify and call by name the brambles of vices. In doing so, Jesus, the good sower, will be happy to do an additional work: to purify our heart, removing the stones and thorns that suffocate the Word. ANGELUS - Sunday, 16 July 2017
FAUSTI - "The sower went out to sow" Jesus explains the mystery of His life: it is the same as the Kingdom, the same as His Word in us. He sows the "seed of the Word of the Kingdom" with the certainty of the farmer, who knows its vital force. He knows that death does not destroy it, but rather activates its potential. That the seed does not take root, that if it takes root it does not grow, that if it grows it is suffocated, it is the normal condition of every sowing, which then will be fruitful. The seed, now sacrificed, guarantees life for the future.
RispondiEliminaJesus, the Son of God, is the sower who came out of the Father to sow
fraternity among men.
And Het is also the seed, the eternal and incorruptible Word that makes the listener a child.
And He is also the earth, the Son of man in everything similar to us, who will end up in the tomb.
And Het is the harvest: in Him the earth has given its fruit (Ps 67:7).
The fruit is God's gift, it is God Himself who gives Himself.
And he will always be sower, seed and ground until God is all in all (1 Cor 15:28).
He is not a foolish sower who throws his seed on roads, stones and brambles, but a wise sower who generously sows the whole field, knowing from ancient experience that this has guaranteed life to his fathers and will also guarantee it to his children. If he should control where every seed falls, he would reap nothing but his own anxieties.
So Jesus sows everywhere.
He does not choose land, He does not discard people, we are all God's field(1Cor 3,9). The Son of man is thrown into the heart of the earth, of every man, sign and seed of life for all.
A seed, even after thousands of years, like the one found in the pyramids of Egypt, does not lose its strength: it is always able to germinate.
Man, too, never loses his identity as a son; beyond the paths that cross him, the stones that he hides and the brambles that dominate him, it is always beautiful land, the mother who welcomes the seed.
In spite of everything, the sowing of the Kingdom is fertile above all expectations.
Thus Jesus, instead of becoming discouraged by difficulties, expresses the most absolute hope in the Father and in His Word. Sowing is always an act of faith in the seed and in the earth, just as living is always an act of faith in God and in man. And it is certainly worth : "The valleys are covered with wheat, everything sings and cries out in joy" (Ps 65:1- 4).
The Lord has not predestined some to understanding, excluding others: He wants all to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4).
But he who does not accept Him is not abandoned to himself, lost forever.
For him the Word is in parables. These offer the seed that will germinate when those who do not want to understand will at least understand that they do not understand and they will be disposed to place themselves in question. The parable is like a closed package: sooner or later one will open it, if for no other reason than curiosity.
Jesus is the One Whom the prophets and saints desired to hear and see: the promised gift of God, God Himself who promised. The Church has the bliss to listen to Him and see Him, to measure how she comes near Him, speaks with Him and listens to Him, recognizing her own hardness of heart, deafness and blindness, asking for healing. Without this attitude, even if it is part of His according to the flesh, it remains "outside" like the others.
The four types of terrain, more than four types of man, are the four levels of listening that coexist in us. The community of believers is called to observe their own resistance, not to fail down,
but to know what her field of struggle and victory may be. We are called to recognize our resistance, to ask for and obtain freedom from it, and so welcome what He wants to give us.