Readings for the 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Sunday’s First Reading is certainly appropriate for those areas of the country which have experienced a lot of rain. Isaiah compares God’s word to the rain and snow watering the earth and making it fertile. The Gospel is the familiar parable of the sower. Traditional interpretations of the latter tend to focus on comparing ourselves to the ground on which the seed falls and to the obstacles to the growth of the seed. We all know, of course, that the sower is God.
But have you ever given any thought to the seed itself? What kind of seed is it?
Matthew says that the seed is the Word of God. Well, that’s fine and good, but how many of us have truly had an experience of the Word of God? If we don’t recognize it when we hear it, how can it bear fruit?
How about if I were to say that the seeds being sown are the blessings that God gives to us each and every day of our lives? Like the seed prodigiously scattered by the sower in hopes that at least some will bear fruit, God sows into our life blessing upon blessing upon blessing … ranging the gamut from large to small.
If you see the seeds as blessings, then maybe the descriptions of the ground make sense. There are those who take no notice of God’s blessing: “It’s all about me.” Others can’t see the blessings because they are so busy complaining. There are those who see the blessing but don’t take any time to say “Thank you.” Some perceive the blessing, but since it’s not what they wanted, they shrug it off. And finally, there are those who receive each and every blessing with gratitude and then proceed to share their happiness and peace with those around them.
Be attentive to the blessings God sends you today, so you can be God’s smile for someone!
Fr. Herb Yost, C.S.C.
