Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 103
Reading 1 Isaiah 55:10-11
Thus says the LORD: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; my word shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 65:10, 11, 12-13, 14
greatly have you enriched it.
God's watercourses are filled;
you have prepared the grain.
R. The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.
Thus have you prepared the land: drenching its furrows,
breaking up its clods,
Softening it with showers,
blessing its yield.
R. The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.
You have crowned the year with your bounty,
and your paths overflow with a rich harvest;
The untilled meadows overflow with it,
and rejoicing clothes the hills.
R. The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.
The fields are garmented with flocks
and the valleys blanketed with grain.
They shout and sing for joy.
R. The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.
Reading 2 Romans 8:18-23
Brothers and sisters: I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us. For creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of God; for creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it, in hope that creation itself would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.
Gospel Matthew 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.”
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///// BIL-MALTI ////////
>>>> Qari tal-Ħmistax-il Ħadd taż-Żmien ta’ Matul is-Sena
Qari 1 mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Isaija 55, 10-11
Dan jgħid il-Mulej: “Bħalma x-xita u s-silġ jinżlu mis-smewwiet, u ma jerġgħux lura mnejn ġew bla ma jsaqqu l-art, imma jġegħluha tnissel u tnibbet, u tagħti ż-żerriegħa lil min jiżra’ u l-ħobż lil min jiekol, hekk jiġri minn kelmti: hija toħroġ minn fommi, u ma terġax lura vojta, imma tagħmel dak li jogħġob lili, u ttemm dak li nkun bgħattha tagħmel”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej >> R/. Irroddu ħajr lil Alla
Salm Responsorjali Salm 64 (65), 10abcd.10e-11.12-13.14
Inti żżur l-art u ssaqqiha,
u tagħniha bil-ġid tiegħek.
Il-wied ta’ Alla mimli bl-ilma,
il-qamħ tagħhom ħejjejtilhom. R/.
Hekk int tħejjiha:
issaqqi r-raddiet u twitti t-tub tagħha,
bl-irxiex trattabha u tberkilha ż-żrieragħ.
Fawwart is-sena bi tjubitek,
triqatek bil-ġid joqtru. R/.
Joqtru bin-nida l-mergħat tad-deżert,
u bil-ferħ jitħażżmu l-għoljiet.
Il-mergħat jimtlew bl-imrieħel,
il-widien jinksew bil-qamħ;
jgħajtu lkoll u jgħannu bil-ferħ! R/.
Qari 2 mill-Ittra ta’ San Pawl lir-Rumani 8, 18-23
Ħuti, jiena għadni persważ li t-tbatijiet ta’ issa ma għandhom xejn x’jaqsmu mal-glorja li għad trid tidher fina. Il-ħlejjaq kollha qegħdin jistennew ħerqana r-rivelazzjoni ta’ wlied Alla; għax il-ħolqien jinsab taħt il-frugħa – mhux minn rajh, imma minħabba dak li xeħtu taħtha – bit-tama li l-ħlejjaq huma wkoll għad ikunu meħlusa mill-jasar tat-taħsir u jiksbu l-ħelsien tal-glorja ta’ wlied Alla. Aħna nafu li l-ħolqien kollu għadu s’issa jitniehed bl-uġigħ tal- ħlas; u mhux hu biss, imma wkoll aħna li għandna l-ewwel frott tal-Ispirtu, aħna wkoll nitniehdu fina nfusna waqt li nistennew l-adozzjoni ta’ wlied, il-fidwa ta’ ġisimna. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej >> R/. Irroddu ħajr lil Alla
Evanġelju Qari skond San Mattew 13, 1-23
Dakinhar Ġesù ħareġ mid-dar, mar f’xatt il-baħar u qagħad bilqiegħda hemm. U nġabru madwaru folol hekk kbar ta’ nies li kellu jitla’ fuq dgħajsa u jinżel bilqiegħda fiha; in-nies qagħdu lkoll wieqfa fuq ix-xatt, u hu beda jkellimhom fuq bosta ħwejjeġ bil-parabboli. U qalilhom: “Darba wieħed bidwi ħareġ jiżra’. Huwa u jiżra’, xi żerrigħat waqgħu mal-mogħdija, ġew l-għasafar u naqqruhom kollha. Oħrajn waqgħu f’art kollha blat, fejn ma kienx hemm wisq ħamrija, u malajr nibtu, għax il-ħamrija ma kinitx fonda; iżda mbagħad telgħet ix-xemx, u nħarqu u nixfu, għax ma kellhomx għeruq. Oħrajn waqgħu qalb ix-xewk, u x-xewk kiber magħhom u ħonoqhom. Imma oħrajn waqgħu f’art tajba, u għamlu l-frott, min mija, min sittin, u min tletin. Min għandu widnejn, ħa jisma!”. Resqu lejh id-dixxipli u staqsew: “Għaliex tkellimhom bil-parabboli?”. Hu weġibhom: “Għax lilkom ingħata li tagħrfu l-misteri tas-Saltna tas-Smewwiet, iżda lilhom dan ma kienx mogħti. Għax kull min għandu, jingħatalu, u jkollu żżejjed ukoll; iżda min ma għandux, jitteħidlu saħansitra dak li għandu. Jien għalhekk inkellimhom bil-parabboli; għax iħarsu kemm iħarsu ma jarawx, u jisimgħu kemm jisimgħu ma jifhmux. U hekk isseħħ fihom il-profezija ta’ Isaija li tgħid, “Tisimgħu kemm tisimgħu ma tifhmux, u tħarsu kemm tħarsu ma tarawx. Għax il-qalb ta’ dan il-poplu twebbset; kienu tqal biex jisimgħu b’widnejhom, u għalqu għajnejhom li ma jmorrux jaraw b’għajnejhom, u jisimgħu b’widnejhom u jifhmu b’moħħhom, u hekk ibiddlu ħajjithom u jiena nfejjaqhom”. Intom, iżda, henjin għajnejkom, għax qegħdin jaraw; henjin widnejkom, għax qegħdin jisimgħu. Tassew, ngħidilkom, li bosta profeti u nies ġusti xtaqu jaraw dak li qegħdin taraw intom u ma rawhx, u jisimgħu dak li qegħdin tisimgħu intom, u ma semgħuhx! Mela isimgħuha intom il-parabbola ta’ dak li ħareġ jiżra’. Kull min jisma’ l-kelma tas-Saltna u ma jifhimhiex, jersaq il-Ħażin u jisraqlu dak li jkun inżera’ f’qalbu: dan huwa dak li nżera’ mal-mogħdija. Dak li nżera’ f’art kollha blat huwa dak li jisma’ l-kelma u jilqagħha minnufih bil-ferħ; imma għeruq ma jkollux fih innifsu, u għalhekk ftit idum; imbagħad jiġi fuqu l-għawġ, jew isib min iħabbtu minħabba l-kelma, u malajr jitfixkel. Dak li nżera’ qalb ix-xewk huwa dak li jisma’ l-kelma iżda l-inkwiet żejjed għall-ħwejjeġ tad-dinja u l-ġibda għall-ġid tal-art joħonqulu l-kelma, li għalhekk ma tagħmilx frott. Dak imbagħad li nżera’ f’art tajba huwa dak li jisma’ l-kelma u jifhimha; u tassew hu jagħmel il-frott; dan jagħmel mija, dak sittin, u l-ieħor tletin”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej >> R/. Tifħir lilek Kristu
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///////////// REFLECTION ..... Fr Tony Kadavil's Weekly Eight-minute homily in one page)
THE TRANSFORMING POWER OF THE WORD OF GOD
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Introduction:
Sunday’s readings are about the transforming power of the word of God when read, preached, and lived. They also warn us not to be disappointed at the absence of immediate results. We must take a positive and optimistic view of our missionary efforts, as we keep on bearing witness to Christ’s Gospel. The parable of the sower in Sunday’s Gospel challenges us to listen intently to God’s Word, to be open to it, and to allow our lives to be shaped by its power. The parable reminds us that man’s reception of God’s Word is determined by the condition of his heart.
Scripture lessons summarized:
In the First Reading, Isaiah consoles the Jewish slaves in Babylon, assuring them that, like rain and snow which water the earth so that seeds may sprout and grow, God's word will accomplish His purpose, in this case by returning the exiles to their homes in peace as God has promised. In the Second Reading, St. Paul reminds us that just as seeds must fall into the earth and die to produce an abundant crop, the pain and sufferings God permits in our lives work in us for our redemption. Paul wants us to wait for our eternal reward while we continue sowing the word of God diligently and suffering for the Lord, as he did.
Sunday’s Gospel teaches us that the word of the Lord is the seed, and our hearts and minds are the soil. The seed’s good spiritual yield in one’s life depends on how fully one willingly accepts and responds to the word of the Lord. The yield arising from the positive response will be abundant beyond all imagining. The parable tells us to do our part by preparing fertile soil in our hearts in which the word of God can germinate, grow, and yield 30-, 60, or 100-fold.
Life messages:
1) We need to assess our use of the word of God. We need to read the word of God every day, starting with a prayer to the Holy Spirit for the gifts of attentive reading and the ability and willingness to apply the message we receive to our daily living. When we listen to the word of God as read and preached in the Church during the Holy Mass, or in a televised program, we need to pay full attention to the message given by God, Who uses the priest or preacher as His instrument.
2) We need to keep our spiritual soil free from weeds, fertile, and well-prepared for the word of God:
First, we need to keep our hearts open to the word of God instead of closing it with pride, prejudice, fear, or laziness.
Second, we also need to ask God’s special grace to remove all types of blocks which hardenour hearts, like laziness, anxiety, worries, hatred, jealousy, prejudice and the burden of un-repented/unconfessed sins, any of which can prevent the word of God from influencing and transforming our lives.
Third, we have to remove from our hearts the weeds like evil habits and addictions, evil tendencies, hatred, jealousy, fear, and greed.
Fourth, we should not allow the trials and tribulations of this world (the cares of this world, our ambitions, or our desires for worldly success and happiness), to choke out the messages that God gives through His word.
Last, we have to keep the soil of our hearts fertile by our prayer life, repenting daily of our sins receiving the sacrament of reconciliation when necessary, and receiving the spiritual food of the Holy Eucharist by participating in the Holy Mass. When we receive Jesus, the Word of God and the Source of the word of God [Holy Scripture and Sacred Tradition], in Holy Communion we need to ask him to transform our lives so that we may see Jesus in all of us (for we are all brothers and sisters in Him), and share with each Jesus’ unconditional love, mercy, compassion, and forgiveness.
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