Book of 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; It shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.
Psalms 65(64) You have visited the land and watered it; greatly have you enriched it. God's watercourses are filled; You have prepared the grain.
Thus have you prepared the land: drenching its furrows, breaking up its clods, softening it with showers, blessing its yield.
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.
The pastures are clothed with flocks, the valleys blanketed with grain; they cheer and sing for joy.
Letter to the 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.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint 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 heart 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."
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning! In this Sunday's Gospel passage (cf. Mt 13:1-23), Jesus tells a great crowd the Parable — that we all know well — of the Sower, who casts seeds over four different types of terrain. The Word of God, symbolized by the seeds, is not an abstract Word, but rather Christ himself, the Word of the Father who became flesh in Mary's womb. Embracing the Word of God therefore, means embracing the personage of Christ; of Christ himself.
There are several different ways to receive the Word of God. We may do so like a path, where birds immediately come and eat the seeds. This would be distraction, a great danger of our time. Beset by lots of small talk, by many ideologies, by continuous opportunities for distraction inside and outside the home, we can lose our zest for silence, for reflection, for dialogue with the Lord, to the point that we risk losing our faith, not receiving the Word of God, as we are seeing everything, distracted by everything, by worldly things.
Another possibility: we may receive the Word of God like rocky ground, with little soil. There the seeds spring up quickly, but they also soon wither away, because they are unable to sink roots to any depth. This is the image of those who receive the Word of God with momentary enthusiasm, which however, remains superficial; it does not assimilate the Word of God. In this way, at the first difficulty, such as a discomfort or disturbance in life, that still-feeble faith dissolves, as the seed that falls among the rocks withers.
We can also — a third possibility that Jesus mentions in the parable — receive the Word of God like ground where thorny bushes grow. And the thorns are the deceit of wealth, of success, of worldly concerns... There, the Word grows a little, but becomes choked, it is not strong, and it dies or does not bear fruit.
Lastly — the fourth possibility — we may receive it like good soil. Here, and here alone does the seed take root and bear fruit. The seed fallen upon this fertile soil represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, safeguard it in their heart and put it into practice in everyday life.
This Parable of the Sower is somewhat the ‘mother’ of all parables, because it speaks about listening to the Word. It reminds us that the Word of God is a seed which in itself is fruitful and effective; and God scatters it everywhere, paying no mind to waste. Such is the heart of God! Each one of us is ground on which the seed of the Word falls; no one is excluded! The Word is given to each one of us. We can ask ourselves: what type of terrain am I? Do I resemble the path, the rocky ground, the bramble bush? If we want, with the grace of God, we can become good soil, ploughed and carefully cultivated, to help ripen the seed of the Word. It is already present in our heart, but making it fruitful depends on us; it depends on the embrace that we reserve for this seed.
Often one is distracted by too many interests, by too many enticements, and it is difficult to distinguish, among the many voices and many words, that of the Lord, the only one that makes us free. This is why it is important to accustom oneself to listening to the Word of God, to reading it. And I return once more to that advice: always keep a handy copy of the Gospel with you, a pocket edition of the Gospel, in your pocket, in your purse … and then, read a short passage every day, so that you become used to reading the Word of God, understanding well the seed that God offers you, and thinking with what soil do I receive it.
May the Virgin Mary, perfect model of good and fertile soil, help us, with her prayer, to become willing soil without thorns or rocks, so that we may bear good fruit for ourselves and for our brothers and sisters.
Dear Brothers and Sisters, In this Sunday's Gospel (Mt 13:1-23), Jesus recounts to the crowd the well-known Parable of the Sower. In a certain way it is an “autobiographical” passage, for it reflects the very experience of Jesus, of his preaching. He identifies himself with the sower who scatters the good seed of the Word of God and notes the different effects it obtains, in accordance with the way in which people hear the proclamation.
Some listen superficially to the Word but do not take it in; others accept it at the time but are unable to persevere and lose it all; there are those who are engrossed by worldly concerns and enticements; and those who listen receptively, like the good soil: here the word bears an abundance of fruit.
However this Gospel also puts the accent on Jesus’ preaching “method”, that is, on his use of parables. “Why do you speak to them in parables?”, his disciples ask (Mt 13:10). And Jesus answers distinguishing between them and the crowd: to his disciples — namely to those who have already decided for him — he can speak openly about the Kingdom of God, to others, instead, he must proclaim it in parables, precisely to encourage their decision, conversion of the heart; indeed, by their very nature parables demand the effort of interpretation, they not only challenge the mind but also freedom. St John Chrysostom explained: “And this he [Jesus] says to draw them unto him, and to provoke them and to signify that if they would covert he would heal them” (cf. Homily on the Gospel of Matthew, 45, 1-2).
Basically, God's true “Parable” is Jesus himself, his Person who, in the sign of humanity, hides and at the same time reveals his divinity. In this manner God does not force us to believe in him but attracts us to him with the truth and goodness of his incarnate Son: love, in fact, always respects freedom.
Dear friends, tomorrow we shall be celebrating the Feast of St Benedict, Abbot and Patron of Europe. In the light of this Gospel reading let us look to him as to a master of listening to the Word of God, a profound and persevering listening. We must always learn from the great Patriarch of Western monasticism to give God his proper place, the first place, offering him in morning and evening prayer our daily work.
May the Virgin Mary help us, through her example, to be “good soil” where the seed of the Word may bear fruit in abundance.
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.
Like rain and snow... this Word, Jesus Christ Himself, sown by the Father in the abyss of the earth, dying on the tree of the Cross, will pour forth Water and Blood from His pierced side, sign of the Sacraments of the Church. And in the living Water of the Spirit, His people receive Baptism and Forgiveness in the shed Blood, through Holy Confession. Risen and ascended into heaven, He remains among us, the Living Word and Bread of Life for all! When He said: "The Words I have spoken to you are Spirit and Life", there was a split among the listeners, Pierre for all those who wanted and want to follow Him, exclaimed: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You alone have the Words of Eternal Life! (John 6.63-8)
Book of Isaiah 55,10-11.
RispondiEliminaThus 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; It shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.
Psalms 65(64)
You have visited the land and watered it;
greatly have you enriched it.
God's watercourses are filled;
You have prepared the grain.
Thus have you prepared the land:
drenching its furrows, breaking up its clods,
softening it with showers,
blessing its yield.
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.
The pastures are clothed with flocks,
the valleys blanketed with grain;
they cheer and sing for joy.
Letter to the 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.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ
RispondiEliminaaccording to Saint 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 heart 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."
POPE FRANCIS
RispondiEliminaANGELUS 12 July 2020
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning!
In this Sunday's Gospel passage (cf. Mt 13:1-23), Jesus tells a great crowd the Parable — that we all know well — of the Sower, who casts seeds over four different types of terrain. The Word of God, symbolized by the seeds, is not an abstract Word, but rather Christ himself, the Word of the Father who became flesh in Mary's womb. Embracing the Word of God therefore, means embracing the personage of Christ; of Christ himself.
There are several different ways to receive the Word of God. We may do so like a path, where birds immediately come and eat the seeds. This would be distraction, a great danger of our time. Beset by lots of small talk, by many ideologies, by continuous opportunities for distraction inside and outside the home, we can lose our zest for silence, for reflection, for dialogue with the Lord, to the point that we risk losing our faith, not receiving the Word of God, as we are seeing everything, distracted by everything, by worldly things.
Another possibility: we may receive the Word of God like rocky ground, with little soil. There the seeds spring up quickly, but they also soon wither away, because they are unable to sink roots to any depth. This is the image of those who receive the Word of God with momentary enthusiasm, which however, remains superficial; it does not assimilate the Word of God. In this way, at the first difficulty, such as a discomfort or disturbance in life, that still-feeble faith dissolves, as the seed that falls among the rocks withers.
We can also — a third possibility that Jesus mentions in the parable — receive the Word of God like ground where thorny bushes grow. And the thorns are the deceit of wealth, of success, of worldly concerns... There, the Word grows a little, but becomes choked, it is not strong, and it dies or does not bear fruit.
Lastly — the fourth possibility — we may receive it like good soil. Here, and here alone does the seed take root and bear fruit. The seed fallen upon this fertile soil represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, safeguard it in their heart and put it into practice in everyday life.
This Parable of the Sower is somewhat the ‘mother’ of all parables, because it speaks about listening to the Word. It reminds us that the Word of God is a seed which in itself is fruitful and effective; and God scatters it everywhere, paying no mind to waste. Such is the heart of God! Each one of us is ground on which the seed of the Word falls; no one is excluded! The Word is given to each one of us. We can ask ourselves: what type of terrain am I? Do I resemble the path, the rocky ground, the bramble bush? If we want, with the grace of God, we can become good soil, ploughed and carefully cultivated, to help ripen the seed of the Word. It is already present in our heart, but making it fruitful depends on us; it depends on the embrace that we reserve for this seed.
Often one is distracted by too many interests, by too many enticements, and it is difficult to distinguish, among the many voices and many words, that of the Lord, the only one that makes us free. This is why it is important to accustom oneself to listening to the Word of God, to reading it. And I return once more to that advice: always keep a handy copy of the Gospel with you, a pocket edition of the Gospel, in your pocket, in your purse … and then, read a short passage every day, so that you become used to reading the Word of God, understanding well the seed that God offers you, and thinking with what soil do I receive it.
May the Virgin Mary, perfect model of good and fertile soil, help us, with her prayer, to become willing soil without thorns or rocks, so that we may bear good fruit for ourselves and for our brothers and sisters.
BENEDICT XVI
RispondiEliminaANGELUS 10 July 2011
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In this Sunday's Gospel (Mt 13:1-23), Jesus recounts to the crowd the well-known Parable of the Sower. In a certain way it is an “autobiographical” passage, for it reflects the very experience of Jesus, of his preaching. He identifies himself with the sower who scatters the good seed of the Word of God and notes the different effects it obtains, in accordance with the way in which people hear the proclamation.
Some listen superficially to the Word but do not take it in; others accept it at the time but are unable to persevere and lose it all; there are those who are engrossed by worldly concerns and enticements; and those who listen receptively, like the good soil: here the word bears an abundance of fruit.
However this Gospel also puts the accent on Jesus’ preaching “method”, that is, on his use of parables. “Why do you speak to them in parables?”, his disciples ask (Mt 13:10). And Jesus answers distinguishing between them and the crowd: to his disciples — namely to those who have already decided for him — he can speak openly about the Kingdom of God, to others, instead, he must proclaim it in parables, precisely to encourage their decision, conversion of the heart; indeed, by their very nature parables demand the effort of interpretation, they not only challenge the mind but also freedom. St John Chrysostom explained: “And this he [Jesus] says to draw them unto him, and to provoke them and to signify that if they would covert he would heal them” (cf. Homily on the Gospel of Matthew, 45, 1-2).
Basically, God's true “Parable” is Jesus himself, his Person who, in the sign of humanity, hides and at the same time reveals his divinity. In this manner God does not force us to believe in him but attracts us to him with the truth and goodness of his incarnate Son: love, in fact, always respects freedom.
Dear friends, tomorrow we shall be celebrating the Feast of St Benedict, Abbot and Patron of Europe. In the light of this Gospel reading let us look to him as to a master of listening to the Word of God, a profound and persevering listening. We must always learn from the great Patriarch of Western monasticism to give God his proper place, the first place, offering him in morning and evening prayer our daily work.
May the Virgin Mary help us, through her example, to be “good soil” where the seed of the Word may bear fruit in abundance.
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.
Like rain and snow... this Word, Jesus Christ Himself, sown by the Father in the abyss of the earth, dying on the tree of the Cross, will pour forth Water and Blood from His pierced side, sign of the Sacraments of the Church. And in the living Water of the Spirit, His people receive Baptism and Forgiveness in the shed Blood, through Holy Confession.
RispondiEliminaRisen and ascended into heaven, He remains among us, the Living Word and Bread of Life for all!
When He said: "The Words I have spoken to you are Spirit and Life", there was a split among the listeners, Pierre for all those who wanted and want to follow Him, exclaimed: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You alone have the Words of Eternal Life! (John 6.63-8)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqfa4cswzU8&t=12s
RispondiElimina