Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Intro: As today's Gospel parable tells the story of the Sower of seed, Jesus invites us to examine our personal response to His teaching.
Readings: Isaiah prophesies that when God intends something, it comes about unfailingly.
Paul tells the Romans that the whole of creation longs for transformation into the glorious freedom of Gods purpose.
Isaiah 55: 10-11;
Romans 8: 18-23;
Matthew 13: 1-23;
In the parable about the Sower spreading seed, neither the hard-trodden soil, nor the soil surrounded by rocks and thorns rejects the seed - the soil simply doesn't have the depth to allow growth. Obviously, the soil symbolises all the different kinds of people in the Church who, on hearing the Gospel, don't reject it - they accept it in good faith. But if their faith is shallow, or if they allow material things to strangle that faith, then there's simply not enough depth for God's life to grow within them.
So what sort of soil are we? Do we enable God's message to take root and grow? Do we produce a harvest of good works, signs pointing towards the Kingdom, and help bring it about? And what sort of seed are we? Do we die to ourselves, so that Jesus can live in us? Because remember that Jesus also said that a seed has to die to itself in order to be transformed into a fully-grown plant.
Lastly, what sort of Sowers are we? Do we attend to the word of God through reading, studying, praying and knowing scripture - at the very least, the New Testament - so that we can be confident about relaying that Good News to others? Or do we simply rely on the so-called "professionals" to do the work of sowing the seed - the "office-holders" in the Church, priests, religious, teachers.
Is it sufficient to have faith for ourselves, but be unable to explain or express that same faith clearly to others who ask about it? How can we possibly expect a harvest, if we keep the seed to ourselves? When was the last time you picked up a book, or even a pamphlet about the faith?
God's power and life makes plants grow, but the farmer has to work by preparing the land, buying and sowing seed, cutting the crops at the appropriate time and having them ground to produce the end product, flour. Certainly the Kingdom will come about ... but what are we doing about it?
Where are we in all this? If we're tempted to think that we belong among the seed which fell on the edge of the path, or on the rocks among the weeds, think again: Jesus didn't tell this parable to discourage us, but rather the reverse - to emphasise that there's no limit to what God's grace can do in is, what He can make of us, and what goodness and fruit He can produce.
At times we may feel that we're hanging on to Jesus by our fingertips; but in reality, He is the One Who is holding on to us because He loves us.
Intercessions
Believing in God's continued presence among us, we pray for our own needs, as well as the needs of others:-
1. Let us pray that, as members of the Church, we may be like the rich soil of the Gospel, and produce a harvest of good deeds - Lord, hear us.
2. For our world. May those who know only poverty and sickness become more aware of Your love for them through our prayers and our practical help - Lord, bear us.
3. For our own parish. May it always be seen as a place of welcome, warmth and love to all who come here, however in-frequently - Lord, hear us.
4. For ourselves. Help us to play our own part in bringing about the Kingdom both through our study of our faith and putting it into practice - Lord, hear us.
5. Our dead have suffered the pain and loss of human life. Give Glen Erskine, Anthny Frame, Kathleen Davis and Anne Louise MeParland, together with Daniel Murphy, James Carr, John Thomson, Sheila Wynn, Greta, Chris, Jack, Jean, Gerald, Maureen and Danielle Dunne, whose anniveraries we call to mind today, the fullness of life and joy in Heaven - Lord, hear us.
Father, in Your loving kindness, hear the prayers of all who call on You in faith.