THE RICH HEART - 07/16/23 (Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time)

From the Gospel according to Matthew

Mt 13:1-23

On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.

Such large crowds gathered around him

that he got into a boat and sat down,

and the whole crowd stood along the shore.

And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:

"A sower went out to sow.

And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,

and birds came and ate it up.

Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil.

It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep,

and when the sun rose it was scorched,

and it withered for lack of roots.

Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.

But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit,

a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.

Whoever has ears ought to hear."

The disciples approached him and said,

"Why do you speak to them in parables?"

He said to them in reply,

"Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven

has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.

To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich;

from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

This is why I speak to them in parables, because

they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.

Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:

You shall indeed hear but not understand,

you shall indeed look but never see.

Gross is the heart of this people,

they will hardly hear with their ears,

they have closed their eyes,

lest they see with their eyes

and hear with their ears

and understand with their hearts and be converted,

and I heal them.

"But blessed are your eyes, because they see,

and your ears, because they hear.

Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people

longed to see what you see but did not see it,

and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

"Hear then the parable of the sower.

The seed sown on the path is the one

who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it,

and the evil one comes and steals away

what was sown in his heart.

The seed sown on rocky ground

is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.

But he has no root and lasts only for a time.

When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,

he immediately falls away.

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.

But the seed sown on rich soil

is the one who hears the word and understands it,

who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold."

Reflection:

A blessed Sunday to all of us! We are called today to be the seed that grows in rich soil. It is the only seed that produces fruit. When we hear God’s word, what do we do? Do we listen to it? Hearing is different from listening. We may hear something but not really listen to it because listening is with understanding but not necessarily hearing. We may hear but not understand what was said. For our hearts to be the rich soil, we must ponder God’s words carefully. Reading the Gospel before the Holy Mass is helpful because you can never really read a passage too much. God’s message for us is always fresh every time we hear it. Each time we read God’s word no matter how many times we have heard it, our Father speaks to us in a new way, here at present. Prayer is a continuous loving conversation with God. Moreover, God speaks to us because He wants us to do something that is according to the Gospel. It is like a love letter that is always new every day. The more you ponder on it, the more your love grows for God, and it changes you.

The rich soil is anyone who listens to God’s word and does the work that it requires. That is the one who produces much fruit; this fruit is the light and presence of God in other people’s lives through the person’s good works. Because of this, he will save his life and the life of others by the power and grace of God, through Christ and in Christ. Any good work, no matter how small in man’s eyes, have a huge effect on people even though we may not see it but with faith we can. Just as how evil proliferates when sin is done, all the more that grace and blessing thrive, multiply, and increase when a person does God’s word. God blesses Him in many ways because of his obedience to God as a reward now and until in heaven. What does God wants you to do today? Pray and be silent. Listen to His voice. Take courage and follow Him. May you bear much fruit in Christ and through Christ, with Christ. Amen. +

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Examination of Conscience and Guide to Sacrament of Confession:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/

Ultimate Catholic Parents Guide:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ls6IcexZAls

Summary and Defense of Catholic Teachings:

https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth