Video for July 16th, 2023Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/071623.cfm

The Parable of the Sower: patience and the preaching of repentance.

The Parable of the Sower provides an excellent example of patience and preaching of repentance. In the parable, the sower is patience personified and represents God's kindness and patience in dealing with humanity. The seed represented by the sower represents the gospel of peace. The verb "to sow" suggests that the gospel is an act of generosity, as it will provide life to those who receive it. The Word of God is like a seed that will bring new life to those who receive it. The patience of the sower is essential in order for the seed to bring life. Without patience, the seed would not be able to penetrate the hard ground, and the plants would not grow. The preaching of repentance is also essential in order for the seed to have its full effect. Sinful human beings will resist the gospel, but repentance brings about a change of heart that allows the seed to take root and grow. When the gospel is preached with patience and repentance, it has the power to change lives for the better.

"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 thirty-fold. Whoever has ears ought to hear" (Matt 13:3-9).

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.

(Matt 13:10-11)

.....

This is why I speak to them in parables, because

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

(Matt 13:13)

Christ's description of His audience, that day in Galilee, is unfortunately as true today as it was then. His message of salvation has been preached to a great part of the world's population, but the proportion of those who accept it and live up to it, is about the same today as it was then.

There are millions of saints in heaven today, enjoying eternal happiness, who had some, if not all, of our present failings. We, too, can be with them one day, provided we do what they did. They repented sincerely and remained God's close friends, until he called them to himself. May the merciful God give us the grace to imitate them while we yet have time.

The point of the parable is that, in spite of some failure because of opposition and indifference, the message of Jesus about the coming of the kingdom will have enormous success.

The judgment of God alone will eliminate the sinful. Until then there must be patience and the preaching of repentance.

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