Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Homily)
July 12, 2020 11:30 am · Sergio Muñoz Fita
Summary: Today's readings invite us to do an examination of conscience and to ask ourselves what kind of soil we are. The Lord himself explains to us the meaning of the parable in today's Gospel. What falls to each of us, then, is to ask ourselves this question: Are we are bearing much fruit? Or on the contrary, has the Word of God been sown into our souls, but not been an authentic source of new life?
In the long version of the homily, which can be found tomorrow on Flocknote, I reflect on the power of the word - even the human word - and the importance of not giving way to words that can harm our hearts. Is our Christian life deeply rooted? Or are we inconsistent and give up when the time of testing comes? Do we live trapped by the worries of the world, not allowing the seed of the Word to bear the fruit of holiness? Are we inconstant in our life of faith? If we look at our lives, could we describe them as a "fruitful harvest?" as described in today's psalm?
The image of the seed also tells us about the patience of the Sower. God is the one who waits. He awaits the fruit and does not tire of waiting. However, time by its very nature does not last forever. The Lord is willing to wait a lifetime, but when he sows, it is in the hope of finding fruit. Are we bearing the fruit of eternal life?
May the Lord grant us to be good soil. May we work that soil by cooperating with the grace of God, removing the stones, opening the furrows, and watering it with the water of prayer, the sacraments and charity. Yes, let us work because today’s sufferings are nothing compared to the glory that will one day be revealed to us. From now on, let us live on every Word that comes from the mouth of God.
Long version: Have you stopped to think about the power of the word? The words that we have heard throughout our lives have formed us into the people that we are. We have been shaped by so many words. Those that were spoken with love and affection made us better. Those spoken with hatred or indifference opened wounds that we may still have written on our souls. The word is the vehicle of culture, of faith, of our worldview. A word can lead us to be born again or it can destroy a person's existence. Words born of silence are charged with life and meaning and empty words make our lives barren.They can give us hope or drown us. They can communicate grace to us, or lead us away from the path that leads to life.
Today's readings speak to us of the Word of God. In his Word, God communicates with us. That God speaks to us means that he has made us his listeners, that he has called us to a relationship with him, that he invites us to share a path that gives meaning to our lives. God has spoken to us! If human words are so powerful that they can change the history of men and societies, how much more effective and irresistible is the Word of God! His Word brought the entire universe out of nothing. His Word dresses the flowers of field every morning and hangs the stars in the sky every night. The Word of God gives life to the dead, heals the sick, limits the glamour of evil in the world. To those who are lost, it shows the path that leads to glory. It cleanses and purifies those who are unclean. To those who despair, it shows the path of light and hope.
This is the Word that we hear every Sunday at Holy Mass, the Word that the Sower spreads tirelessly in the soil of our souls every week. The Word of God is a seed that gives eternal life to those who receive it. God speaks to us to give us life! To introduce us to his friendship, to open his intimacy to us. It is a Word charged with love, and really, with fullness.
It pours down on us like rain and snow (Is 55:10), hoping that we will receive it, but we no longer know how to listen. There is so much noise, so many other meaningless words, so many false speeches, that man has refused to have a friendly and saving conversation with God.
The Word of God is not one more word among others. It Is The Word. The Word that is the foundation of everything that exists (Gen 1), the Word that will one day judge the world. (Jn 12:48) The Word that is sharper than a double-edged sword. (Heb 4:12) The Word that will not pass because it is eternal (Mt 24:35), because it is God himself. (Jn 1,1) The only Word full of wisdom that makes us rich in the eyes of God.
Dear brothers and sisters: what words do we hear? The book of Proverbs says: "Dishonest mouth put away from you, deceitful lips put far from you." (4:24). To whom do we listen? Whom do we trust? What kind of soil are we?
“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." The worries of the world make our soil barren, choke the seed of God’s Word. Are we far from the worries of the world, or caught up in them like flies in a spider web? Yesterday we celebrated the memorial of St. Benedict. He spent 3 years in a cave as a hermit in Subbiaco. Three years in isolation. In speaking about him, St. Gregory the Great has these words: “Wishing to please God alone, he lived as a hermit in the presence of the all-seeing God. He withdrew from the world of men, knowingly unacquainted with its ways and wisely unlearned in its wisdom”. Wisely unlearned in the wisdom of the world. What a beautiful way to describe the state of a soul far from worldly anxieties! There is no other way to let the seed grow in our hearts.
May the Word of God, pondered in the silence of the heart, received in prayerful and silent listening, celebrated in the Sacraments of the Church, offered to us by those who give it to us in the name of the Lord, bear abundant fruit.
Lord, help us to listen to you. Teach us to enter into conversation with you. Offer us, once again, the gift of your friendship. Make us echo your Word in the world so that whoever hears us listens to you. Give us the humility of those who are silent to listen to others, and, above all, to You. Help us to always choose well the words that come out of our mouths, so that it is always "good, constructive and timely". (Eph 4:29) Make us rich soil like Mary and make us learn from her to always say: "Let it be done to me according to your Word." (Lk 1:38)
