READINGS
1.Is 55:10-11
2.Rom 8:18-23
3.Mt13:1-23
From the readings we hear an invitation to
listen to God's word. From the first reading we hear that people of Israel had
been in exile in Babylon for many years and were wondering if they would
ever return to their homeland. Amid this problem, God raises the prophet to
speaking in his name, to give an assurance and hope to the Israelites who had
lost hope.
The people got ready to receive the
message yet as days went on nothing happens, thus people are discouraged again,
" why has the word of God not becom a reality?? the prophet tells them
that the word of God is like the rain that always has the effect it was sent to
produce. Aren't we too often seized by distrust when we don't see the immediate
effect/realization of the word of God in our lives?? for instance our Catechism
tells us that if we want to be ever happy we must try to be just, loyal, and
love ourneighbours and forgive others, but here we are also challenged that
those who are a bit dishonest and corrupt are also succeful in their
daily affairs. For this reason we find ourselves in dispair, creating and
asking ourselves many un answerable questions that where is our God?, where is
the justice of God? can what God says really be true?
From the 2nd reading we learn the message
of hope, St Paul in his letter to the Romans invites us to live in hope despite
of Challenges and hardships in our ministries and missions at large.
From the Gospel reading Mt13:1-23 we can
pose this question to ourselves that what is the best and easiest way to help
people understand God's Kingdom?like the rabbis of his time Jesus very
frequently used parables. Wha is a parable? - a short stories and images taken
from everyday life to convey hidden truths about the Kingdom of God. Like
a skillful artst Jesus sketched memorable pictures with short and simple words.
A good image can speak more loudly and clearly than many words. Jesus used the
ordinary every day illustrations of life and nature to point to another order
of reality. Hidden yet visible to those who had eyes to see.
What can the parable about the seeds and
roots teach us about the Kingdom of God any farmer will attest to the
significance of good soil for supplying the nutrients for growth. The
scriptures always used the image of plant bearing fruits or trees bearing
fruits to convey the principles of spiritual life and death.
Example," Blessed is the man who
trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water
that sends out its roots by the stream and does not fear, when heat comes for
its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought for it does
not cease to bear fruit( Jer 17:7-8, Psalm1:3)
How do we listen to God's word? Jesus'
parable of the sower is aimed at the hearers of word. There are different ways
of accepting God's word and they produce different kinds of fruits accordingly.
Example in our Christian Communities have people who cannot pay attention to
hear from their elders, their superiors, and their leaders in their working
places, such people never want to hear other's speaking, they shut their minds
and create their own worlds for their existence of which they feel comfortable.
Then we have a category of a shallow hearers, these are the ones who hear the
word of God through catechetical instructions and at the end they let it go,
for such people to pray/ attend the mass to fulfill the order of the day,
prayer to such people becomes a formality, and thus the word of God to them
does not have the room. The underlying reason for them to let the word of God
go is because of proud and world's preoccupations.
Jesus in using parables to his audience
did not mean that his hearers could not intellectually grasp and understand the
meaning of the parable, rather the challenge was the hardness of the hearts to
accept and believe God's message, they had already made their minds not to
believe. Let's ask ourselves this question that what makes us ineffective or
unresponsive to God's word, is that world's preoccupations with other things
destructs us from what is truly important and worthwhile thus let our
minds and hearts be consumed with material things.
How God's word takes root in us?
The parables of Jesus will englighten us
if we approach them with an open mind and heart ready to let them to challenge
us. God's word can only take root in the receptive hearts that is ready to
believe and willing to submit in God's obedience. God is always ready to speak
to each one of us and give us understanding of his word, are we angry for his
word?
Once Clement of Alexandria said this
"Let's look, as from a broader perspective at what it means to be on the
road. In a way every road is hardened, and foolish on account of the fact
that it lies beneath every ones feet. No kind of seed finds there enough depth
of soil for a covering. Instead, it lies on the surface and is ready to
be snatched by the birds that come by. Therefore, those who have in themselves
a mind hardened and as it were packed tight do not receive the divine seed, but
become a well -trodden way for the unclean spirit. These are what is here meant
by the birds of heaven, but heaven we understand to mean this air, in which the
spirits of wickedness move about, by whom, again the good seed is snatched up
and destroyed. Then what are those upon the rock?they are those people who do
not take much care of the faith they have inthemselves. They have not set
their minds to understand the touchstone of the mystery of being united with
Christ.
The reverence these people have towards
God is shallow and rootless. It is in times of ease and fair weather that they
practice Christianity when it involves none of the painful trials of winter.
They will not persevere their faith in this way, if in times of tumultuous
persecution their souls are prepared for the struggle.
As we celebrate the 15th Sunday year A,
let's allow ourselves to be good instruments of the Gospel. Let's allow and
open our hearts and minds so that the spirit of God can work in our lives and
thus transform us to open our minds and hearts to allow the seed of the word to
bear fruits in our lives.
0 Response to "HOMILY ON THE 15th SUNDAY YEAR A ORDINARY TIME"
Chapisha Maoni