The Catholic Calendar for Friday, July 28, 2006
The Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
Jeremiah 3:14-17
Jeremiah 31:10, 11-12 abcd, 13
Matthew 13:18-23

A reflection on today's Scripture . . . .

The seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit. (Matthew 13:23)

The One true God chose the Israelites to become an example to the world as a holy nation living in love and truth, and so attracting all people to God's kingdom. While His chosen people remained faithful to His word, He strengthened them against their enemies and amply provided for all their needs. But humanity tends in abundant and untroubled times to forget the "Giver" of all good and heedlessly expends its energies on worldly endeavors and gaining possessions. In response, God, being excluded from their lives, allows them to exercise their free will, leaves them to "make it on their own." At such times disasters overcame His people until they recognized and repented of their infidelities and returned with all their hearts into His "fold."

Christ's parable of the sower shows that God is lavish in spreading His word on all people. He excludes no one from His kingdom; it is we who exclude ourselves through rejection or disobedience. A major reason for resisting God's word is fear: stubborn souls, dreading change, harden their hearts against it; some listen to the devil accusing God of curtailing their freedoms and pleasures; others follow the crowd rather than risk ridicule or persecution. Finally, many are so attached to "getting and spending" that they leave no room in their lives for His word to take root and flourish.

Christ's teachings reveal that it is the humble who admit their sins and see the need of beginning a new life. These come to Jesus, and drawing close to Him in prayer, realize that He is the embodiment of all God's goodness, wisdom and power. As they learn to participate in His virtues, in His creative, life-giving love, they bear His Holy Spirit's fruit to feed and revive moribund souls in a God-starved world.

O God, giver of life and joy, pour out Your light upon us through Christ's Spirit, that we may be enabled to follow Him as he shows us the way into Your holy kingdom. Amen.

- Marie Bocko, OCDS
(mlbocko at earthlink dot net)