GOSPEL
Jerusalem Bible © 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd and Doubleday & Company Inc.
Jesus left the house and sat by the lakeside, but such large crowds gathered round him that he got into a boat and sat there. The people all stood on the beach, and he told them many things in parables.
He said, ‘Imagine a sower going out to sow. As he sowed, some seeds fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on patches of rock where they found little soil and sprang up straight away, because there was no depth of earth; but as soon as the sun came up they were scorched and, not having any roots, they withered away. Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Others fell on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Listen, anyone who has ears!’
(Matthew 13:1–9)
DID YOU KNOW?
Points of interest and Catholic lore
- A parable is a simple human story with a profound meaning.
- Parables were a familiar way of teaching in the time of Jesus, and some images had established meanings. For example, a vineyard, sons or servants represented Israel, while a master, king or father represented God.
- Chapter 13 of Matthew’s Gospel contains numerous parables describing the kingdom of heaven.
- Matthew’s Gospel uses the term kingdom of heaven rather than kingdom of God because his audience is largely Jewish converts to Christianity, and the Jewish people avoid using the holy name.
- The Sea of Galilee is also known as Lake Gennesaret and as Lake Tiberius. Jesus’ base for his preaching ministry in the region was at the town of Capernaum on the northern shores of the lake. Peter had a house in this town.
- Archaeological excavations in Capernaum have revealed a house that was revered from very early times as ‘the house of Peter’.
EXPLORING THE WORD
This parable would have had a great appeal to the rural population living on the fertile land around the Sea of Galilee. There, the gentle undulating hills are green and verdant, in sharp contrast to the desert wilderness of the southern part of the province of Judea around Jerusalem.
In the longer version of today’s gospel, Jesus explains the meaning of the parable of the sower. The different soils represent different human responses to hearing the word of God. The message is that, despite some failures, the sower’s work ultimately succeeds. Not everyone is open to receiving the word and acting on it, but there is encouragement for those who allow the word to take root and bear fruit.
- Discuss some of the initiatives of your parish that have taken root and flourished.
- Have there been initiatives that have encountered obstacles and didn’t take root? Why?
MAKING CONNECTIONS
Opportunities for group discussion and personal prayer
- What are the rocks and thorns in our world that may cause the word of God to choke and wither? In the modern world, what are the things that make it difficult for the word of God to take root and flourish? How can believers ‘cultivate their soil’ to help the seed of faith grow? Share your reflections with others.
- Try to be ‘rich soil’ this week, not just for the word of God but also for those around you. Listen attentively to your family and work colleagues. Try to discern what God is saying to you in the events of everyday life.
- Say this prayer each day:
Lord, may the seed of your word fall into deep soil in me. May it not return to you without yielding its fruit in me.
SHARING THE TRADITION
A closer look at the Scripture of the day, to see how it makes more explicit God’s word to us through the teachings of Jesus Christ
The two major parts of the liturgy are known as the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. These are framed by an introductory and a concluding rite.
The Liturgy of the Word consists of readings from both the Hebrew Scriptures, sometimes called the Old Testament, and the Christian Scriptures, sometimes called the New Testament. The Hebrew Scriptures tell the story of God’s calling of the people of Israel as his chosen people and details God’s relationship with Israel through its long history. God makes a covenant with them, but with the covenant comes the obligation for the people to be faithful and to live justly.
The Christian Scriptures contain four accounts of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus (the gospels), an account of the establishment of the early church (the Acts of the Apostles), some letters of the early church and a book of visions (Revelation). This final book is a particular form of literature (apocalyptic) widely known in the first century bc and first century ad but badly misunderstood in the modern age.
The Church reads the ‘Word of God’ constantly so that members of every generation come to appreciate God’s actions in history, know Jesus and reflect on the work of God in their own lives. The Scriptures are the presence of the living God among us and a rich source for our own prayer lives.
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is based on learning about and journeying to God through the Word.
- What may be some thorns in your heart that do not allow the Word to bear fruit?
- Contemplate the ‘soil’ of your own life. In what ways can you enrich the soil to help the Word take root more fully?
- Identify one concrete way of bringing the Word to fruit in your life this week—for example, journal writing, reading the Word each evening, looking at various religious publications.
SYMBOLS AND IMAGES
Jesus uses the image of the seed to help his followers understand something about the word of God. First, it is alive and active and capable of growth and productivity. Second, it requires us to be open to receive it and we must not allow it to be crowded out of our lives by other concerns or stolen away by those indifferent or hostile to Christ. Finally, we must cultivate the soil of our lives so that the seed can take root and bear rich fruits.
LIVING THE WORD
Practical ideas for group leaders to employ in connecting Scripture and daily life, with suggestions for music and environment
- What opportunities exist within your community for exploring the Word?
- In what ways can your parish be made more fertile ground for the Word of God?
- What role can catechumens play in this?
- Using a candle, some large seeds and the Scriptures as a focus, invite participants to quietly read over today’s gospel. You could invite them to take a seed and place it somewhere prominent this week as a reminder of the Word.
- You could pray together a phrase from Psalm 118:
Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. - A suitable song could be ‘Take the word of God with you’ (GA 494). Conclude with the blessing in the RCIA at §97C.