BIBLE STUDY #53
EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
JULY 31, 2011
Reading 1
Is 55:1-3
Thus says the LORD:
All you who are thirsty,
come to the water!
You who have no money,
come, receive grain and eat;
Come, without paying and without cost,
drink wine and milk!
Why spend your money for what is not bread;
your wages for what fails to satisfy?
Heed me, and you shall eat well,
you shall delight in rich fare.
Come to me heedfully,
listen, that you may have life.
I will renew with you the everlasting covenant,
the benefits assured to David.
The Word of the Lord
Reading II
Rom 8:35, 37-39
Brothers and sisters:
What will separate us from the love of Christ?
Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?
No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly
through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities,
nor present things, nor future things,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature will be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The Word of the Lord
Gospel
Mt 14:13-21
When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist,
he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.
The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns.
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.
When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said,
“This is a deserted place and it is already late;
dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages
and buy food for themselves.”
Jesus said to them, “There is no need for them to go away;
give them some food yourselves.”
But they said to him,
“Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.”
Then he said, “Bring them here to me, ”
and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass.
Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples,
who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied,
and they picked up the fragments left over—
twelve wicker baskets full.
Those who ate were about five thousand men,
not counting women and children.
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
Jesus public ministry began when John the Baptists’ ministry ended (see Matthew 4: 12-17). Now with John’s death (a prefigurement of Jesus’ own death), Jesus begins a new phase in his ministry. He is more withdrawn from public life because he is withdrawing from danger: the leadership is looking for ways to kill him, but it isn’t his “time” yet. This is reminiscent of the “hour” in John’s Gospel, referring to the hour of his passion and death. When it is time, Jesus will deliberately go to his passion and death in Jerusalem.
After chapter 13 with all the parables that we have been hearing recently, Jesus withdraws from teaching the crowds and begins to focus on the disciples. He is more concerned with the formation of the disciples and therefore the nascent church. He is preparing them for life after He rises and ascends to the Father.
When Jesus hears of John’s death, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place. Why? Was it to grieve over his cousin’s death? Or maybe to get a break from the crowds what always seem to follow him at this point in his ministry. That won’t last, though; at his death, there are only a hand full at the cross – the rest are in hiding or trying not to be noticed.
While Matthew seldom attributes emotions to Jesus, he is described as showing compassion for the crowds after disembarking from the boat. In his compassion, Jesus heals the sick.
These healings remind us of the future kingdom in its fullness: there will be no more pain, sorrow, or suffering. In the kingdom, all is made new, a promise of things to come.
The disciples approach Jesus with the problem of feeding all these people. It is late and they want to send the people away to go and find food. But Jesus in his grief and tiredness still wants to do something. Being a disciple is not always easy, nor does it always fit into our planned schedule. We still need to do what we can, regardless of its inconvenience or difficulty. Like the man walking the beach after a bad storm and throwing starfish that had been washed up ashore back into the ocean before they withered in the hot sun. Another man approached him and said, “Most of these fish will wither before you can throw them back. What difference can you make?” The first man picks up a starfish shows it to the second man, and says, “To this starfish, a lot.” We can’t change the world, but we can always help people.
Jesus knows what he wants to do and tells his disciples to take care of it. “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.” It’s at this point that people begin to misinterpret this feeding story. They want to take the miraculous out of it and make it into a nice human interest story of sharing with each other. Some people have suggested that the crowd was so moved by Jesus’ compassion for them that they shared the food they had with each other, which turned out was enough to feed everyone. Another theory states that Jesus’ fed the spiritual hungers of the people instead of the physical.
I’m not sure where people come up with these ideas, because it is not supported by the text. The problem with reading your own ideas into scripture is that we lose the actual meaning of the passage as it was intended by the author. It was Matthew’s intent to have a miracle story where God intervenes for his people. There are plenty of examples in the Old Testament, but I’ll give two: 1) God feeding the people in the desert with manna Exodus 16, and 2) Elisha feeding 100 men with 20 loaves of bread in 2 Kings 4. These passages don’t express the idea of sharing food or of it being only spiritual food, but they do express God’s care for the people in their hour of need. In both instances they were in the desert, it seemed an impossible task to accomplish, and the people picked up the leftovers. Jesus used lesser food to feed a lot more people with a lot more leftovers. Matthew is depicting Jesus as being greater than all the prophets, one of his favorite themes. He is writing for a mainly Jewish-Christian audience, and it was an important theme in his community. Remember, Jesus is the new Moses, so for Matthew, whatever Moses and the prophets can do, Jesus can do better.
This passage is also a reminder to the reader of Jesus messiahship. When the messiah arrives, there will be peace and plenty. Multiplying the loaves shows God’s bountiful love and indicates that Jesus is the one longed for so long by so many people.
There is a very obvious Eucharistic theme here, also. The idea of Jesus looking up to heaven while blessing and breaking the bread has been included in Eucharistic Prayer 1 (Roman Cannon) used at Mass, but the idea of looking up is not in the text of the institution of the Eucharist on the night before Jesus died.
Jesus looking up to heaven, blessing, breaking, and distributing the bread are very liturgical and cultic in nature, and in fact have been preserved in our own Mass format. We don’t normally use the Roman Canon, so there won’t be a looking up to heaven, but see if you can identify the blessing, breaking, and distributing at Mass (in that order also). The bread is blessed during the consecration, it is broken right after the sign of peace, and distributed almost immediately thereafter.
For the earliest believers in Matthews’ community, these loaves of bread did anticipate the greater gift of Jesus body and blood, soul and divinity, in the Eucharist, and which also anticipates the final banquet in the kingdom. Remember, we describe heaven as the ‘banquet of life Christ has prepared for us’. It is not the banquet of life we prepare for ourselves through sharing, but the banquet of life Christ prepares for us. When we look at this passage only as sharing, we leave out Christ – never a good thing to do. Even worse, are we replacing Christ with ourselves?
The number of people fed (5,000, not counting women and children) and 12 baskets of bread left over, show us God’s bounty that can never be exhausted. This is reinforced in the first reading. All are welcome, there is no cost, and we shall dine well at God’s table, a table that gives life. Isaiah is inviting all those who find worldly things to be lacking to come and be fed with the food of God’s grace and presence.
It is also important to note that it was the disciples who distributed the bread. Jesus provides us with the bread of life, but it is up to us to bring it to others.
That’s why we push the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) in the summer and early fall. This program is for those who want to become full members in the church, so it is for the unbaptized, people of other Christian denominations, and for Catholics who haven’t yet received eucharist and/or confirmation. We are like Isaiah, and inviting people to God’s banquet. We are inviting people to “Come to me (God) heedfully, listen, that you may have life”. We are inviting people to share in God’s ‘rich fare’. Obviously, most people in these categories won’t be in church on Sundays, so it is up to all of us to invite them to the banquet. If you know of anyone, please make the invitation.
If some people hesitate at your invitation because they are not sure of they believe in God, tell them that God believes in them. St. Paul tells us that in the second reading. There is nothing we can do to make God stop loving us; in fact there is nothing we can do to lessen God’s love for us one iota. I think that people doubt God’s love because they have been hurt by others who withdraw their love. If you have never felt (or seldom feel) unqualified love, it’s hard to believe that it exists, but it does!
God has shown that it does exist time and time again. Scripture is full of examples of God’s love, culminating in the sacrifice of his Son, who left us the Eucharist to guide us, refresh us, and nourish us on our way back home.
I think attending Mass and receiving the Eucharist is paramount in growing in the Christian life. It is central to who we are as disciples. God gave us this great gift. Let us recommit ourselves to regularly (and I would hope weekly) attending Mass and receiving communion.
Fr. Phil
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
BIBLE STUDY #52
SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
JULY 24, 2011
Reading 1
1 Kgs 3:5, 7-12
The LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night.
God said, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.”
Solomon answered:
“O LORD, my God, you have made me, your servant, king
to succeed my father David;
but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act.
I serve you in the midst of the people whom you have chosen,
a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted.
Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart
to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.
For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?”
The LORD was pleased that Solomon made this request.
So God said to him:
“Because you have asked for this—
not for a long life for yourself,
nor for riches,
nor for the life of your enemies,
but for understanding so that you may know what is right—
I do as you requested.
I give you a heart so wise and understanding
that there has never been anyone like you up to now,
and after you there will come no one to equal you.”
The Word of the Lord
Reading II
Rom 8:28-30
Brothers and sisters:
We know that all things work for good for those who love God,
who are called according to his purpose.
For those he foreknew he also predestined
to be conformed to the image of his Son,
so that he might be the firstborn
among many brothers and sisters.
And those he predestined he also called;
and those he called he also justified;
and those he justified he also glorified.
The Word of the Lord
Gospel
Mt 13:44-52
Jesus said to his disciples:
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,
which a person finds and hides again,
and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
searching for fine pearls.
When he finds a pearl of great price,
he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea,
which collects fish of every kind.
When it is full they haul it ashore
and sit down to put what is good into buckets.
What is bad they throw away.
Thus it will be at the end of the age.
The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous
and throw them into the fiery furnace,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
“Do you understand all these things?”
They answered, “Yes.”
And he replied,
“Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven
is like the head of a household
who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.”
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
We are continuing in chapter 13 of Matthew’s Gospel where Jesus is using parables to describe the kingdom of heaven. The first 2 parables are found only in Matthew and have the same theme. The Kingdom of God is like a buried treasure or a pearl of great price. When found, a person should sell all they have to obtain it.
In ancient days, there were no banks, no safety deposit boxes, nor any type of security systems. To protect their property in times of war or civil strife, a person would bury their valuables somewhere on their property. If he was killed, or taken captive, or if he fled and never returned, then the treasure belonged to the new owner of the field. In this case, if someone were plowing a field and came across a great treasure, he would sell all he had to buy that field. The Kingdom of God is like that. We should not hesitate to pay any price, undergo any sacrifice, or give up anything necessary, to obtain the kingdom. This should be the wholehearted response of someone who has found Jesus – following him is worth the price. There is a cost to discipleship, but the benefits far outweigh the cost.
In the ancient world, pearls were the single most valuable item. Finding a pearl of great price, one should sell all and buy it. The Kingdom is the single most valuable item and we should do whatever necessary to belong to the kingdom
In both instances, selling everything for the kingdom shows that the person’s commitment is total. The ones who give all are holding nothing back for themselves. I tell this to engaged couples: marriage is not a 50%-50% proposition, but a 100%-100% relationship. In the 50%-50% marriage, it is easy to become concerned if your spouse is holding up their end of the bargain. Of course, we always think we’re holding up our end, but your spouse may be thinking the same thing! Thinking like this can drive a wedge into a relationship. ‘I’m not getting my fair share out of this marriage’ can become a common complaint. If all you think about is what you can get out of a marriage, all you will do in the long run is to get out of the marriage.
On the other hand, giving 100% puts the onus on the individual to perform. In this instance, a spouse is concerned about the health, well being, and happiness of the other over themselves, and will do whatever it takes to insure that end. This is a very Christian attitude because thinking and acting like this will bring us into the realm of virtues: we will be kind, forgiving, sacrificing, and loving as Jesus taught us. If two spouses thing this way, then it has to be a very successful, loving marriage, one we could point to as an example of what marriage could be and should be. There is no reason why all marriages can’t be like this. Marriages fail because people fail. There is nothing wrong with marriage, but there can be a lot wrong with spouses.
Faith is like that, too. Many people expect to get something out of their faith, but are unwilling to commit totally to that faith. They expect God to ‘hold up their end of the bargain’, just as a couple in a 50%-50% marriage would. When God doesn’t do what we want (i.e., when we can’t manipulate and control God to our desires) then we give up on faith. “Father, I prayed so hard for my husband to live but he died anyway. Why didn’t God hear my prayers.” My response (in a little more pastoral, gentle way) is: “God did hear your prayers. He always hears our prayers. In this case His answer is no.”
John F. Kennedy once said, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” A perfect motto for those who give 100% to their faith. We don’t have to ask what God can do for us. We know what he has done and what he can do. The real question is: what can we do for God? That’s the way a totally committed faith person would think. This is also a good motto for stewardship. God has blessed us so much, what can we do for him? In the face of the death of a spouse, this type of person doesn’t question God, but is comforted with the knowledge that now their loved one is with God in heaven. God will never be outdone in generosity and will bless us many times over if we give all to our faith. Isn’t this a lot better way to live?
This third parable today is a parable about fishing. A large net would be used by either 2 boats or a boat and people onshore and they would drag it through the lake and catch fish. They would throw out the bad fish but save the good ones. It reminds us of last week’s parable about the wheat and weeds: the good and bad are together, there is a final separation, and then a fitting reward or punishment. Is this where the 100% people are separated from the others? Do you think 98% is good enough? Or 80%, or even 75% Why would you take that chance?
This last paragraph seems to refer to the Old and the New Testaments. Both are necessary and shed light on each other; but the definitive norm is the New Testament.
In the first reading, Solomon is young and has consolidated his power after the long reign of his father David. This is before the Temple in Jerusalem was built and Solomon goes to God’s sanctuary in Gibeon because it was the most renowned place to pray. God speaks to him in a dream. Dreams are very profound and life changing, as we see in Jacob’s dream at Bethel in Genesis 28:11-19 and Samuel’s dream at Shiloh (1Samuel 3:2-18).
In this dream, God said to Solomon, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.” He could have asked for long life, to defeat all enemies, for more riches, but instead he asked for wisdom. But this is more than knowing things; it’s about knowing God. He wants to rule like God. He wants to be sensitive to the needs of the people and govern with justice tempered with mercy. In other words, he wants to conform himself to God’s will. He wants to give 100% He has found the pearl of great price, the treasure buried in a field, and it is God’s love.
Fr. Phil
SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
JULY 24, 2011
Reading 1
1 Kgs 3:5, 7-12
The LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night.
God said, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.”
Solomon answered:
“O LORD, my God, you have made me, your servant, king
to succeed my father David;
but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act.
I serve you in the midst of the people whom you have chosen,
a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted.
Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart
to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.
For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?”
The LORD was pleased that Solomon made this request.
So God said to him:
“Because you have asked for this—
not for a long life for yourself,
nor for riches,
nor for the life of your enemies,
but for understanding so that you may know what is right—
I do as you requested.
I give you a heart so wise and understanding
that there has never been anyone like you up to now,
and after you there will come no one to equal you.”
The Word of the Lord
Reading II
Rom 8:28-30
Brothers and sisters:
We know that all things work for good for those who love God,
who are called according to his purpose.
For those he foreknew he also predestined
to be conformed to the image of his Son,
so that he might be the firstborn
among many brothers and sisters.
And those he predestined he also called;
and those he called he also justified;
and those he justified he also glorified.
The Word of the Lord
Gospel
Mt 13:44-52
Jesus said to his disciples:
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,
which a person finds and hides again,
and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
searching for fine pearls.
When he finds a pearl of great price,
he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea,
which collects fish of every kind.
When it is full they haul it ashore
and sit down to put what is good into buckets.
What is bad they throw away.
Thus it will be at the end of the age.
The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous
and throw them into the fiery furnace,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
“Do you understand all these things?”
They answered, “Yes.”
And he replied,
“Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven
is like the head of a household
who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.”
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
We are continuing in chapter 13 of Matthew’s Gospel where Jesus is using parables to describe the kingdom of heaven. The first 2 parables are found only in Matthew and have the same theme. The Kingdom of God is like a buried treasure or a pearl of great price. When found, a person should sell all they have to obtain it.
In ancient days, there were no banks, no safety deposit boxes, nor any type of security systems. To protect their property in times of war or civil strife, a person would bury their valuables somewhere on their property. If he was killed, or taken captive, or if he fled and never returned, then the treasure belonged to the new owner of the field. In this case, if someone were plowing a field and came across a great treasure, he would sell all he had to buy that field. The Kingdom of God is like that. We should not hesitate to pay any price, undergo any sacrifice, or give up anything necessary, to obtain the kingdom. This should be the wholehearted response of someone who has found Jesus – following him is worth the price. There is a cost to discipleship, but the benefits far outweigh the cost.
In the ancient world, pearls were the single most valuable item. Finding a pearl of great price, one should sell all and buy it. The Kingdom is the single most valuable item and we should do whatever necessary to belong to the kingdom
In both instances, selling everything for the kingdom shows that the person’s commitment is total. The ones who give all are holding nothing back for themselves. I tell this to engaged couples: marriage is not a 50%-50% proposition, but a 100%-100% relationship. In the 50%-50% marriage, it is easy to become concerned if your spouse is holding up their end of the bargain. Of course, we always think we’re holding up our end, but your spouse may be thinking the same thing! Thinking like this can drive a wedge into a relationship. ‘I’m not getting my fair share out of this marriage’ can become a common complaint. If all you think about is what you can get out of a marriage, all you will do in the long run is to get out of the marriage.
On the other hand, giving 100% puts the onus on the individual to perform. In this instance, a spouse is concerned about the health, well being, and happiness of the other over themselves, and will do whatever it takes to insure that end. This is a very Christian attitude because thinking and acting like this will bring us into the realm of virtues: we will be kind, forgiving, sacrificing, and loving as Jesus taught us. If two spouses thing this way, then it has to be a very successful, loving marriage, one we could point to as an example of what marriage could be and should be. There is no reason why all marriages can’t be like this. Marriages fail because people fail. There is nothing wrong with marriage, but there can be a lot wrong with spouses.
Faith is like that, too. Many people expect to get something out of their faith, but are unwilling to commit totally to that faith. They expect God to ‘hold up their end of the bargain’, just as a couple in a 50%-50% marriage would. When God doesn’t do what we want (i.e., when we can’t manipulate and control God to our desires) then we give up on faith. “Father, I prayed so hard for my husband to live but he died anyway. Why didn’t God hear my prayers.” My response (in a little more pastoral, gentle way) is: “God did hear your prayers. He always hears our prayers. In this case His answer is no.”
John F. Kennedy once said, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” A perfect motto for those who give 100% to their faith. We don’t have to ask what God can do for us. We know what he has done and what he can do. The real question is: what can we do for God? That’s the way a totally committed faith person would think. This is also a good motto for stewardship. God has blessed us so much, what can we do for him? In the face of the death of a spouse, this type of person doesn’t question God, but is comforted with the knowledge that now their loved one is with God in heaven. God will never be outdone in generosity and will bless us many times over if we give all to our faith. Isn’t this a lot better way to live?
This third parable today is a parable about fishing. A large net would be used by either 2 boats or a boat and people onshore and they would drag it through the lake and catch fish. They would throw out the bad fish but save the good ones. It reminds us of last week’s parable about the wheat and weeds: the good and bad are together, there is a final separation, and then a fitting reward or punishment. Is this where the 100% people are separated from the others? Do you think 98% is good enough? Or 80%, or even 75% Why would you take that chance?
This last paragraph seems to refer to the Old and the New Testaments. Both are necessary and shed light on each other; but the definitive norm is the New Testament.
In the first reading, Solomon is young and has consolidated his power after the long reign of his father David. This is before the Temple in Jerusalem was built and Solomon goes to God’s sanctuary in Gibeon because it was the most renowned place to pray. God speaks to him in a dream. Dreams are very profound and life changing, as we see in Jacob’s dream at Bethel in Genesis 28:11-19 and Samuel’s dream at Shiloh (1Samuel 3:2-18).
In this dream, God said to Solomon, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.” He could have asked for long life, to defeat all enemies, for more riches, but instead he asked for wisdom. But this is more than knowing things; it’s about knowing God. He wants to rule like God. He wants to be sensitive to the needs of the people and govern with justice tempered with mercy. In other words, he wants to conform himself to God’s will. He wants to give 100% He has found the pearl of great price, the treasure buried in a field, and it is God’s love.
Fr. Phil
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
BIBLE STUDY #51
SIXTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
JULY 17, 2011
Reading 1 Wis 12:13, 16-19
There is no god besides you who have the care of all,
that you need show you have not unjustly condemned.
For your might is the source of justice;
your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all.
For you show your might when the perfection of your power is disbelieved;
and in those who know you, you rebuke temerity.
But though you are master of might, you judge with clemency,
and with much lenience you govern us;
for power, whenever you will, attends you.
And you taught your people, by these deeds,
that those who are just must be kind;
and you gave your children good ground for hope
that you would permit repentance for their sins.
The Word of the Lord
Reading II Rom 8:26-27
Brothers and sisters:
The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness;
for we do not know how to pray as we ought,
but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.
And the one who searches hearts
knows what is the intention of the Spirit,
because he intercedes for the holy ones
according to God’s will.
The Word of the Lord
Gospel Mt 13:24-43
Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds, saying:
“The kingdom of heaven may be likened
to a man who sowed good seed in his field.
While everyone was asleep his enemy came
and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off.
When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well.
The slaves of the householder came to him and said,
‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field?
Where have the weeds come from?’
He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’
His slaves said to him,
‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds
you might uproot the wheat along with them.
Let them grow together until harvest;
then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters,
“First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning;
but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
He proposed another parable to them.
“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed
that a person took and sowed in a field.
It is the smallest of all the seeds,
yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants.
It becomes a large bush,
and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.’”
He spoke to them another parable.
“The kingdom of heaven is like yeast
that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour
until the whole batch was leavened.”
All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables.
He spoke to them only in parables,
to fulfill what had been said through the prophet:
I will open my mouth in parables,
I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation
of the world.
Then, dismissing the crowds, he went into the house.
His disciples approached him and said,
“Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
He said in reply, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man,
the field is the world, the good seed the children of the kingdom.
The weeds are the children of the evil one,
and the enemy who sows them is the devil.
The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire,
so will it be at the end of the age.
The Son of Man will send his angels,
and they will collect out of his kingdom
all who cause others to sin and all evildoers.
They will throw them into the fiery furnace,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
Then the righteous will shine like the sun
in the kingdom of their Father.
Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
Last week we heard the parable of the sower. We have three parables this week, the first being the parable of the weeds and the wheat which follows immediately after last weeks parable.
A farmer sows wheat, but an enemy comes in and sows weeds, specifically darnel, a poisonous weed that initially looks like wheat. As the weeds and wheat grow, they do begin to look different, but they are so intertwined by now that by pulling up weeds, wheat will come with it. Both are allowed to grow until harvest, when the weeds and the wheat will be separated. The wheat will be put in the barns, but the weeds will be burned.
This is an amazing story because our first thought on seeing the weeds, like the slaves in the parable, is to uproot it, get it out, banish it. It’s not possible to uproot the weeds without hurting the wheat, so the householder tells his slaves to let them grow together.
There will always be wheat and weeds in our society, our church, our families, and ourselves. Every institution, organization, society, and person is a mixture of weeds and wheat. Letting the weeds and wheat grow together is a more thoughtful, patient approach. When we apply this idea to our institutions, organizations, and ourselves, what can we learn?
1. Don’t be judgmental – sometimes we can’t tell the difference between the weeds and wheat. While we look on certain people as weeds, who knows who looks at us the same way?
2. Sometimes there are things we just can’t change – we have to accept that.
3. There are times when we don’t even know how we can change things or even if we should. We need God’s inspiration to decide.
4. Anyone or anything can change – uprooting, banishing, and destroying denies that possibility.
5. All of us are a mixture of weeds and wheat. We would be much better off if we looked at the weeds in our life in order to change and the wheat in others lives as an inspiration.
6. As we heard last week and hear this week, our job (both as a church and individually) is to sow the seeds of faith and to nurture that faith in ourselves and others; let God take care of the rest.
7. Be patient – it takes time to grow from a seed to a plant and it takes time to grow from a person to a saint.
The next two parables contain the same message. The mustard seed is the smallest of seeds, and like most seeds, looks innocuous. Yet it contains the possibility of life and, when planted and nurtured, can grow very large. Yeast was a symbol of corruption, so it may be referring to the sinners Jesus associates with; the kingdom is despised and rejected, but like yeast mixed with wheat, can grow very large. Both parables tell us that the kingdom starts out small and shaky, without much promise, but under God’s direction, will continue to grow. So it is with our faith. It starts small and grows. Someone planted the seed of faith in us and nourished our faith, and now we take over and try to grow in our faith. The more we nourish our faith, the more it grows.
The conclusion of today’s Gospel comes next. We have heard much about patience and tolerance, now we hear about future judgment. The Son of Man is the risen Jesus. He assumed the role of ruler and sower of seed at his Ascension. His territory is the world, not just the Church. The good seed are children of the kingdom, those who are faithful followers of Jesus (not necessarily all the members of the church). The children of the evil one are the ones who do evil and lead others to do evil. These people are both inside and outside the church. This is a reminder to us in the church that we can’t be totally assured of our salvation. While salvation is a free gift, we can misuse this gift and therefore forfeit the eternal life.
The harvest is a symbol of the last judgment, the end of the age, as Matthew calls it. Other terms for this time are the second coming of Jesus, the Eschaton, and the Parousia, all terms for the end of the world. When this time comes, the age of the Son of Man will end, and the age of the Father will begin. At that time, the Father will send out his angels (not Jesus) to separate the weeds from the wheat, the faithful ones from the evil-doers. These evil-doers will be thrown into the furnace, “where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” The faithful ones, the righteous, will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father”, that is they will inherit eternal life.
As we live in the age of the Son of Man, we know that we are both weeds and wheat. Our goal is to nurture the seed of faith in ourselves and in others; in other words, we are called to repentance, to forgive and be forgiven. We are called to be Christ for each other and to see Christ in each other. A time will come, however, when God will judge us for what we have done in life. The time of repentance will conclude, and the time of judgment will begin.
We see a similar theme in the first reading from Wisdom. The author of this book is trying to encourage his fellow Jews to remain faithful to God while in the Diaspora (those Jews living outside Israel). He tells them how faithful God has been even when they turn away. God always offered forgiveness and a new beginning. The hope we have is because of God’s love for us and in never turning away from us.
Fr. Phil
SIXTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
JULY 17, 2011
Reading 1 Wis 12:13, 16-19
There is no god besides you who have the care of all,
that you need show you have not unjustly condemned.
For your might is the source of justice;
your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all.
For you show your might when the perfection of your power is disbelieved;
and in those who know you, you rebuke temerity.
But though you are master of might, you judge with clemency,
and with much lenience you govern us;
for power, whenever you will, attends you.
And you taught your people, by these deeds,
that those who are just must be kind;
and you gave your children good ground for hope
that you would permit repentance for their sins.
The Word of the Lord
Reading II Rom 8:26-27
Brothers and sisters:
The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness;
for we do not know how to pray as we ought,
but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.
And the one who searches hearts
knows what is the intention of the Spirit,
because he intercedes for the holy ones
according to God’s will.
The Word of the Lord
Gospel Mt 13:24-43
Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds, saying:
“The kingdom of heaven may be likened
to a man who sowed good seed in his field.
While everyone was asleep his enemy came
and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off.
When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well.
The slaves of the householder came to him and said,
‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field?
Where have the weeds come from?’
He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’
His slaves said to him,
‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds
you might uproot the wheat along with them.
Let them grow together until harvest;
then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters,
“First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning;
but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
He proposed another parable to them.
“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed
that a person took and sowed in a field.
It is the smallest of all the seeds,
yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants.
It becomes a large bush,
and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.’”
He spoke to them another parable.
“The kingdom of heaven is like yeast
that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour
until the whole batch was leavened.”
All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables.
He spoke to them only in parables,
to fulfill what had been said through the prophet:
I will open my mouth in parables,
I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation
of the world.
Then, dismissing the crowds, he went into the house.
His disciples approached him and said,
“Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
He said in reply, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man,
the field is the world, the good seed the children of the kingdom.
The weeds are the children of the evil one,
and the enemy who sows them is the devil.
The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire,
so will it be at the end of the age.
The Son of Man will send his angels,
and they will collect out of his kingdom
all who cause others to sin and all evildoers.
They will throw them into the fiery furnace,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
Then the righteous will shine like the sun
in the kingdom of their Father.
Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
Last week we heard the parable of the sower. We have three parables this week, the first being the parable of the weeds and the wheat which follows immediately after last weeks parable.
A farmer sows wheat, but an enemy comes in and sows weeds, specifically darnel, a poisonous weed that initially looks like wheat. As the weeds and wheat grow, they do begin to look different, but they are so intertwined by now that by pulling up weeds, wheat will come with it. Both are allowed to grow until harvest, when the weeds and the wheat will be separated. The wheat will be put in the barns, but the weeds will be burned.
This is an amazing story because our first thought on seeing the weeds, like the slaves in the parable, is to uproot it, get it out, banish it. It’s not possible to uproot the weeds without hurting the wheat, so the householder tells his slaves to let them grow together.
There will always be wheat and weeds in our society, our church, our families, and ourselves. Every institution, organization, society, and person is a mixture of weeds and wheat. Letting the weeds and wheat grow together is a more thoughtful, patient approach. When we apply this idea to our institutions, organizations, and ourselves, what can we learn?
1. Don’t be judgmental – sometimes we can’t tell the difference between the weeds and wheat. While we look on certain people as weeds, who knows who looks at us the same way?
2. Sometimes there are things we just can’t change – we have to accept that.
3. There are times when we don’t even know how we can change things or even if we should. We need God’s inspiration to decide.
4. Anyone or anything can change – uprooting, banishing, and destroying denies that possibility.
5. All of us are a mixture of weeds and wheat. We would be much better off if we looked at the weeds in our life in order to change and the wheat in others lives as an inspiration.
6. As we heard last week and hear this week, our job (both as a church and individually) is to sow the seeds of faith and to nurture that faith in ourselves and others; let God take care of the rest.
7. Be patient – it takes time to grow from a seed to a plant and it takes time to grow from a person to a saint.
The next two parables contain the same message. The mustard seed is the smallest of seeds, and like most seeds, looks innocuous. Yet it contains the possibility of life and, when planted and nurtured, can grow very large. Yeast was a symbol of corruption, so it may be referring to the sinners Jesus associates with; the kingdom is despised and rejected, but like yeast mixed with wheat, can grow very large. Both parables tell us that the kingdom starts out small and shaky, without much promise, but under God’s direction, will continue to grow. So it is with our faith. It starts small and grows. Someone planted the seed of faith in us and nourished our faith, and now we take over and try to grow in our faith. The more we nourish our faith, the more it grows.
The conclusion of today’s Gospel comes next. We have heard much about patience and tolerance, now we hear about future judgment. The Son of Man is the risen Jesus. He assumed the role of ruler and sower of seed at his Ascension. His territory is the world, not just the Church. The good seed are children of the kingdom, those who are faithful followers of Jesus (not necessarily all the members of the church). The children of the evil one are the ones who do evil and lead others to do evil. These people are both inside and outside the church. This is a reminder to us in the church that we can’t be totally assured of our salvation. While salvation is a free gift, we can misuse this gift and therefore forfeit the eternal life.
The harvest is a symbol of the last judgment, the end of the age, as Matthew calls it. Other terms for this time are the second coming of Jesus, the Eschaton, and the Parousia, all terms for the end of the world. When this time comes, the age of the Son of Man will end, and the age of the Father will begin. At that time, the Father will send out his angels (not Jesus) to separate the weeds from the wheat, the faithful ones from the evil-doers. These evil-doers will be thrown into the furnace, “where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” The faithful ones, the righteous, will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father”, that is they will inherit eternal life.
As we live in the age of the Son of Man, we know that we are both weeds and wheat. Our goal is to nurture the seed of faith in ourselves and in others; in other words, we are called to repentance, to forgive and be forgiven. We are called to be Christ for each other and to see Christ in each other. A time will come, however, when God will judge us for what we have done in life. The time of repentance will conclude, and the time of judgment will begin.
We see a similar theme in the first reading from Wisdom. The author of this book is trying to encourage his fellow Jews to remain faithful to God while in the Diaspora (those Jews living outside Israel). He tells them how faithful God has been even when they turn away. God always offered forgiveness and a new beginning. The hope we have is because of God’s love for us and in never turning away from us.
Fr. Phil
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
BIBLE STUDY #50
FIFTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
JULY 10, 2011
Reading 1 Is 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.
The Word of the Lord
Reading II 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.
The Word of the Lord
Gospel Mt 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 hearts 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.”
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
Today’s Gospel reading is the third great discourse in Matthew and is about belief and unbelief as told in several parables. We have the first parable of the sower.
A parable is a literary form that includes axioms, proverbs, and allegories, that compares Christian truths and everyday life as a way of teaching about Christian life.
Jesus leaves the house he was in and goes out to teach. The crowds are so large that he gets into a boat and sits down (the preferred posture of teachers). He teaches using the parable of the sower, the first notably long parable in this Gospel. Jesus uses something from every day life to make his point. A farmer goes out to sow his seed, which usually preceded planting. Since he doesn’t know what kind of soil is underneath the seeds, he plants everywhere to be sure. A lot of seed maybe wasted due to the scorching sun, landing in thorns, and lack of roots, but the abundance of the harvest is assured. There is more and more opposition to Jesus, but we are reassured of the abundance of the harvest, expressed as a return of a hundred fold, sixty fold, and thirty fold. Later in this passage, we will get an explanation of the parable.
Now Matthew turns to the purpose of parables. At this point, the disciples don’t understand anymore than anyone else, hence his later explanation, but he makes a distinction between those who have chosen Jesus as Lord and those who haven’t. God’s grace has worked through the disciples and they have chosen to believe so they will receive further grace and understanding, while the others are left out of belief and understanding because of their refusal to believe in the clear message Jesus has been giving since chapter 4. The prophecy of Isaiah that Jesus quotes has come true. The opposition to Jesus has closed their eyes and ears so they don’t see or hear him because of the grossness of their hearts. If they would open their hearts, eyes and ears to Jesus, they would be healed and become believers. Those who do believe are blessed.
Jesus then explains the parable. The first type of person (the seed sown on the path) hears but doesn’t understand so therefore he doesn’t become a disciple. It is easy for the devil to take the word away from him. Is it because he doesn’t want to understand because of an anti-religious stance? Some times people reject faith because they want to make their own decisions and “don’t want to be told what to do”. This always makes me laugh. The first thing I ask them is if they are married. The second thing I ask is if they work. If you said yes to one or both these, someone is telling you what to do. Our system of laws tells us what to do. Some people make the silly statement that ‘you can’t regulate morality’. Of course we can, and we do! What do you think law is about? It’s about regulating what we can do or can’t do, should or shouldn’t do, which is morality. Some people fall prey to peer and societal pressure and reject religion because they want to fit in and be accepted. They don’t want to be pigeon holed as ‘a religious nut’. Whenever we choose not to understand and believe, we fall into this category.
The second type of person (the seed sown on rocky ground) is the one who initially has great joy in the Christian life, but falls away when faith proves to be difficult. These are the types who only practice their faith when it is convenient. If they feel like going to mass they go, but when it is inconvenient (like on vacation) they find any excuse not too go to mass. These are the types who never speak up for their faith in the public forum, at work, with friends, or even within family because it is easier to stay silent and be one of the crowd. In fact, faith becomes such a ‘private matter’ that hardly anyone knows they go to church. For them, faith is something they fit into their schedule, but has it has no priority in their lives; if something else comes along, church gets dropped (like going to kids sporting events instead of church - if no one went to these games, they’d change the time of the game).
The third type of person (the seed sown among thorns) is the one who is more concerned with the accumulation and retention of wealth and is more concerned with other worldly matters. These kinds of things become obsessive and controlling, almost to the exclusion of everything else. Faith has no bearing because it is not worldly.
The fourth type of person (the seed sown on good soil) is the one who both understands and does the will of God. The soil of our soul is prepared through our love. Someone in our past planted the seed of faith (parents, teachers, family, for example) and we encourage this seed to grow through prayer, sacraments, and good works. Our faith is fed these three ways, and continues to grow and we will bear good fruit. When we love God through prayer and sacraments and love each other through our works, then we become God’s great bearers of grace, healing, and salvation.
We see a similar theme in the first reading from Isaiah. Just as the rain comes down and makes the earth fertile so the seeds can grow, so God’s grace comes down from heaven to sow love in our hearts and enable us to be true and faithful disciples.
In the second reading, Paul talks about the redemptive nature of suffering. There is a lot of hard work to planting a seed, watering, feeding, weeding, and doing all those things necessary so the plant can grow. Growing in faith is like that. The seed of faith is planted, and it’s a lot of hard work to grow in our faith. But the end result is all worth it. The suffering of growing in the Christian life and faith in Jesus is redemptive for us.
Prior to entering the seminary, I was a volunteer at a nearby parish. I used to watch the priests and see how dedicated they were, and how much they seemed to enjoy what they were doing; I was greatly impressed. One day the thought hit me: I can do that! It was a thought that kept coming back; I couldn’t get rid of it. I tentatively pursued the idea of a vocation until I entered the seminary, and, as they say, the rest is history. I saw the former pastor of that church recently at a diocesan function, and I said to him, “Part of the reason I’m here today is you.” He nodded to acknowledge and thank me. We never know what will happen when we are true to the calling of discipleship. We need to plant seeds. We are not responsible for the outcome; it is God’s grace that takes over and makes faith grow. But we are God’s agent in sowing the seed.
Fr. Phil
FIFTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
JULY 10, 2011
Reading 1 Is 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.
The Word of the Lord
Reading II 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.
The Word of the Lord
Gospel Mt 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 hearts 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.”
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
Today’s Gospel reading is the third great discourse in Matthew and is about belief and unbelief as told in several parables. We have the first parable of the sower.
A parable is a literary form that includes axioms, proverbs, and allegories, that compares Christian truths and everyday life as a way of teaching about Christian life.
Jesus leaves the house he was in and goes out to teach. The crowds are so large that he gets into a boat and sits down (the preferred posture of teachers). He teaches using the parable of the sower, the first notably long parable in this Gospel. Jesus uses something from every day life to make his point. A farmer goes out to sow his seed, which usually preceded planting. Since he doesn’t know what kind of soil is underneath the seeds, he plants everywhere to be sure. A lot of seed maybe wasted due to the scorching sun, landing in thorns, and lack of roots, but the abundance of the harvest is assured. There is more and more opposition to Jesus, but we are reassured of the abundance of the harvest, expressed as a return of a hundred fold, sixty fold, and thirty fold. Later in this passage, we will get an explanation of the parable.
Now Matthew turns to the purpose of parables. At this point, the disciples don’t understand anymore than anyone else, hence his later explanation, but he makes a distinction between those who have chosen Jesus as Lord and those who haven’t. God’s grace has worked through the disciples and they have chosen to believe so they will receive further grace and understanding, while the others are left out of belief and understanding because of their refusal to believe in the clear message Jesus has been giving since chapter 4. The prophecy of Isaiah that Jesus quotes has come true. The opposition to Jesus has closed their eyes and ears so they don’t see or hear him because of the grossness of their hearts. If they would open their hearts, eyes and ears to Jesus, they would be healed and become believers. Those who do believe are blessed.
Jesus then explains the parable. The first type of person (the seed sown on the path) hears but doesn’t understand so therefore he doesn’t become a disciple. It is easy for the devil to take the word away from him. Is it because he doesn’t want to understand because of an anti-religious stance? Some times people reject faith because they want to make their own decisions and “don’t want to be told what to do”. This always makes me laugh. The first thing I ask them is if they are married. The second thing I ask is if they work. If you said yes to one or both these, someone is telling you what to do. Our system of laws tells us what to do. Some people make the silly statement that ‘you can’t regulate morality’. Of course we can, and we do! What do you think law is about? It’s about regulating what we can do or can’t do, should or shouldn’t do, which is morality. Some people fall prey to peer and societal pressure and reject religion because they want to fit in and be accepted. They don’t want to be pigeon holed as ‘a religious nut’. Whenever we choose not to understand and believe, we fall into this category.
The second type of person (the seed sown on rocky ground) is the one who initially has great joy in the Christian life, but falls away when faith proves to be difficult. These are the types who only practice their faith when it is convenient. If they feel like going to mass they go, but when it is inconvenient (like on vacation) they find any excuse not too go to mass. These are the types who never speak up for their faith in the public forum, at work, with friends, or even within family because it is easier to stay silent and be one of the crowd. In fact, faith becomes such a ‘private matter’ that hardly anyone knows they go to church. For them, faith is something they fit into their schedule, but has it has no priority in their lives; if something else comes along, church gets dropped (like going to kids sporting events instead of church - if no one went to these games, they’d change the time of the game).
The third type of person (the seed sown among thorns) is the one who is more concerned with the accumulation and retention of wealth and is more concerned with other worldly matters. These kinds of things become obsessive and controlling, almost to the exclusion of everything else. Faith has no bearing because it is not worldly.
The fourth type of person (the seed sown on good soil) is the one who both understands and does the will of God. The soil of our soul is prepared through our love. Someone in our past planted the seed of faith (parents, teachers, family, for example) and we encourage this seed to grow through prayer, sacraments, and good works. Our faith is fed these three ways, and continues to grow and we will bear good fruit. When we love God through prayer and sacraments and love each other through our works, then we become God’s great bearers of grace, healing, and salvation.
We see a similar theme in the first reading from Isaiah. Just as the rain comes down and makes the earth fertile so the seeds can grow, so God’s grace comes down from heaven to sow love in our hearts and enable us to be true and faithful disciples.
In the second reading, Paul talks about the redemptive nature of suffering. There is a lot of hard work to planting a seed, watering, feeding, weeding, and doing all those things necessary so the plant can grow. Growing in faith is like that. The seed of faith is planted, and it’s a lot of hard work to grow in our faith. But the end result is all worth it. The suffering of growing in the Christian life and faith in Jesus is redemptive for us.
Prior to entering the seminary, I was a volunteer at a nearby parish. I used to watch the priests and see how dedicated they were, and how much they seemed to enjoy what they were doing; I was greatly impressed. One day the thought hit me: I can do that! It was a thought that kept coming back; I couldn’t get rid of it. I tentatively pursued the idea of a vocation until I entered the seminary, and, as they say, the rest is history. I saw the former pastor of that church recently at a diocesan function, and I said to him, “Part of the reason I’m here today is you.” He nodded to acknowledge and thank me. We never know what will happen when we are true to the calling of discipleship. We need to plant seeds. We are not responsible for the outcome; it is God’s grace that takes over and makes faith grow. But we are God’s agent in sowing the seed.
Fr. Phil
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