Homily, 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

15th Sunday of the Year A -- July 16, 2023 --

Readings: Isaiah 55:10-11; Romans 8:18-23; Matthew 13:1-23

From time to time, we all bump into the truth about ourselves that there is gap between what we say and what we do, between what we profess to be and how we actually behave. Often, we notice this inconsistency more easily in others. One of life’s disappointments is to discover people who will promise you anything without holding themselves accountable for what they say. Their word is worthless. But sometimes our own words are no bargains either; we lie, we decorate the truth with so many disguises that it becomes unrecognizable.

In sharp contrast to the fragility of the human word, the word of God is seen to be always effective because of who God is. For God, to speak is the same thing as to do, to promise is the same thing as to fulfill. God’s word creates what it says, God speaks the world into existence as we read from the first Chapter of Genesis; “Let there be…. there is.”

From today’s first reading we hear about the great power of God’s word. Isaiah provides us with a glimpse of what ecologists today would refer to as the integrity of creation. Focusing on precipitation in the forms of rain and snow, the prophet traces the cycle that it takes. His understanding comes from the observation of nature. And this metaphor assures us that we can be as confident of the power of the word of God as we can be of the working of the natural world. Just as nature produces miracles upon which we rely and can survive, so the word of God can affect miracles upon which we can rely and live.

And in today’s Gospel passage, Jesus uses imagery that was familiar to most of the people of the time, many of whom worked on the land. But the words of Christ are pointing to a much deeper truth, The parables focuses neither on the sower nor the seed, but on the receptivity of the soil. Jesus provides his disciples an allegorical interpretation of the parable. In each case described, the sown word is actually heard and to some extent it is accepted. Jesus does not refer to outright rejection from outsiders but to the way the followers receive the word f God. When one understands the meaning of the parable, one is apt to wonder: What kind of soil am I and how receptive am I to the word of God?

Some words we welcome into our hearts while others we do not’. For instance, consider how the heart responds differently to; “I love you” or “I have no time for you”. Our reaction to words depends not only on what is said but also on who is saying it and for what purpose. When God speaks, the goal is to bring life. The power of God’s word is like the rain and snow watering and making the earth fertile and fruitful, bringing life and nourishment. God says. “My word shall do my will.”

Underlying this parable, there is a telling confidence. In spite of all the present obstacles in the various types of soil, the good news is that the seed does succeed in growing and producing a rich harvest. No matter how unpromising the landscapes of our hearts, Jesus can transform them in good soil with the living rain of God’s mercy. 

Every heart can bear different crops or no crops at all. Listening to this parable, I used to ask, “What kind of field is my heart?” as if the answer were restricted to only one possibility. Now I think my heart is all those four places mentioned. Some parts of God’s word, I have missed completely, some I have heard but they have not taken root, some I responded to at one time, but then other things got my attention, and then there are those too few words of Jesus that I have embraced wholeheartedly. 

Question of the week: What parts of God’s word have you ignored, barely listened to, acted on but only for a while and what parts of God’s word have you allowed to take root in your heart?