15th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A
Prophet Isaiah in the first reading tells us, “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 him who sows and bread to him 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.” Is this word of God fulfilled in our lives today? I don’t think so! Why isn’t it fulfilled? It is not fulfilled because we, sons and daughters of Christ have failed to actively and sincerely hear and listen to the word of God proclaimed and explained to us.
With the parable of the sower, Jesus clearly explains the reasons why His word is not fulfilled by us today. The first reason is that we hear the word of the kingdom and do not make the effort to understand it, then, the evil one comes and steals away the word sown in us. The second reason is that we hear the word and receive it at once with joy. But it has no deep roots in us because we are reluctant to wholeheartedly accept it and when trials or tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, we immediately fall away from God. The third reason is that we hear the word, but worldly enticements, anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word of God we have received, and it bears no fruit in us.
It is a well known fact that we always hear the word of God proclaimed and explained to us, but the reason why it is not fulfilled in our lives and world today is because we have failed to welcome and accept the word of God, proclaimed and explained to us. We have also refused to hear and listen to the explanation of the word of God that is proclaimed to us. We hear God’s word but we don’t accept the word we have heard. Also, another reason why the word of God is not fulfilled in our lives and world today is because we hear the word of God, but we let worldly enticements, anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word of God we have received. This is a great problem in Christianity today, we go by the name Christian, but our lives do not exemplify the name we bear. So who are you and how do you welcome and receive the gospel of Christ today? Are you the seed sown on the path, that is the person who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart? Or are you the seed sown on rocky ground, that is, the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy, but it has no root and lasts only for a time. And when some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away? Or are you the seed sown among thorns, the one who hears the word, but then lets worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit? Or are you the seed sown on rich soil, that represents the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold?
So my dear friends in Christ, if we truly want to welcome and accept the gospel of Christ, we have to open heartedly hear the word and sincerely accept it; then work on understanding it better by paying attention to the word explained to us, and letting it bear fruit in us through the way we live our lives as Christians in the world.
