The Catholic Calendar for Sunday, July 10, 2005
The Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
Isaiah 55:10-11
Psalm 65:10-14
Romans 8:18-23
Matthew 13:1-23

A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

Hear the Word, Understand it, Bear Fruit (see Matthew 13:1-23)

“My Word goes forth and shall not return to me void, but shall do my will achieving the end for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11

Jesus, The Word, achieves the Work for which He is sent, to redeem all souls in His perfect obedience, total love and humble conformance of His will to know, love and serve the Father.

Jesus knows the Father’s fathomless Love for Him and reciprocates that boundless Love for the Father. Their love begets the Life they so desire for us to share. God’s boundless Love withholds nothing from His beloved. God humbly serves His creature, man, giving Himself totally in His Passion, Death, Rising and Remaining. He bears the fruit that is Life in this redemptive espousing.

The parable of the sower and the seed is a mirror for souls to see how God presents Himself in the seed of His Word and how a soul decides to receive that gift. The gift of self to one’s beloved God enables the seed of His Word to be conceived and begets new life that fruitfully yields 100, 60 or 30-fold more beloved souls for God.

One may also receive the seed of His Word and choose to displace, discourage, distract, ignore, or reject it’s selfless Way. The easy pleasures and tempting comforts of one’s mortal lusts keep one’s focus on self. The one who remains full of self barrenly wills not to yield fruit. Fruitful love requires total self giving.

O Lord,
may we conceive Your Word,
and be about giving Life.
Amen

- Mary Williams
(www.impactbydesign.biz)

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