The Parable of the Sower - 15th Sunday of OT - July 12th, 2020

This Gospel passage is so familiar isn’t it?  At first, I wasn’t sure what to say about since it seems straight forward. We start with the Parable of the Sower, and it sort of makes sense by itself, but before we finish our passage we have an explanation.  Jesus tells us what He means by the parable.  So, we can just read the ending and we would know what the parable means.  Okay, so, does that mean I’m done?  Nothing more to preach about?  Oh, there is always more with God.  Listen to the Homily to learn more.

Readings:  IS 55:10-11; PS 65:10, 11, 12-13, 14; ROM 8:18-23; MT 13:1-23 OR 13:1-9

Key Themes:  Sower, seed, soil, bearing fruit, word of God, tips to be rich soil

Tips to be Good Soil (Excerpt from the Homily):

I hope that you at least desire to be like the disciples, be rich soil, and allow the teachings of Jesus Christ and your relationship with Him transform you into the saints He wants you to be.  Here are some tips to help you be the rich soil:

·      Pay attention.  Pay attention to what is happening, right here, right now, during Mass and any time you pray with scripture.  You can’t receive the word of God if you aren’t paying attention.  The Mass is mostly scripture quotes, so at any point during the Mass you could be able to receive the word of God.

·      Receive the seed.  When something strikes you or stands out, when it makes you wonder or ponder its meaning, it could very well be the seed God is sowing in you.

·      Write it down.  Yes, write it down.  Whatever seed God sows in you, you will retain it better if you write it down.  Write it down immediately after Mass or write it down during my homily.  I would be happy to see you writing something during my homily because then I’ll have to assume it means I said something worth writing down.  Just don’t let the seed be taken from you. 

·      Think about it.  Whatever seed you received will more easily take root if you are thinking about it and trying to understand it more fully.

·      Discuss it with family and friends.  The seed will grow and bear fruit if you are sharing it with others.  In order to share it, you must first have it for yourself, so discussing it helps you understand it better and allows it to be sown in others.