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 Homily for Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

READ: (Isa 55:10-11; Rom 8: 18-23; Matt 13: 1-23)

REFLECT: God’s Generosity and our receptivity to God’s Word...

Dear friends, we are in the fifteenth Sunday in ordinary Time. Generosity is an important quality or virtue that involves giving to others not simply anything in abundance just because it’s there lying or waste but giving that is good for others. In all truth and sincerity, true generosity always intends to enhance the true wellbeing of those to whom it gives. Perhaps, generosity is the greatest attribute of our God, who even gave his only Son for our redemption. We can never deny that God’s generosity is limitless and it is exceptional, because the highest point of generosity of God we see in giving up his own son for our redemption. Therefore we need to realize God’s generosity in our lives and be receptive to God’s generosity he shows us through his words and deeds. So based on the liturgy of the word, I would like to share with you three points of reflection.

1.     God’s Generosity:

God is exceptionally generous to us through all that he has. He never fails to give what he has for our growth and freedom as his children. Very beautifully the Psalmist in 104 describes how God provides in abundance to all the created things on earth. He waters the earth and gives food and drink to every living creature, blesses the entire humanity as well. Such is the generosity of God. The gospel reading of the day is the episode of the Parable of the sower and the seed. The sower is perhaps God, the seed is God’s word and the soil is our hearts, minds, body and souls. The sower sows the seed all over the land and not only in a particular place or part of the land. The generosity of God is such that God sows his words in all possible places both good and bad soil alike, stony and thorny place alike, ready and unready places alike. It just reminds us that God is generous with his sowing of his words regardless who we are and in what conditions and situations we are in.

Perhaps one might think over the act of God (sower) little odd that the sower sows seeds even on rocky hard ground, unprepared land (the pathways) and among thorny bushes, knowing the fact that the seeds won’t grow or germinate steadily or healthily. But there lies the magnanimity and lavish generosity of God. All the unprepared land, hard place and crowded place are just a representation of people who are not ready to listen to God’s word, but God gives them all an opportunity to grip on the word he sows, so that all would be drawn closer to God. Today, it is an opportune time to realize the generosity of God than to find God’s act as foolish. That’s what very beautifully St. Paul in his First letter Corinthians has said, “For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength.” Yes, God is definitely wiser than all of us. So whenever we exhibit a generous act, we reflect the heart of God. Indeed God uses our generosity as an instrument to express his own generosity. So we need to be generous with one another as God is so generous with us for all things.

Pope Francis while speaking of generosity invites us “to be generous and to start by inspecting our houses to discover “what we don’t need and could be useful for someone else. We should ask God to free us from that dangerous disease of consumerism, which makes us slaves and creates dependence on spending money. Let us ask the Lord for the grace of being generous, so that our hearts may be opened and we may become kinder.” Yes, today consumerism has reduced the desire to share with others and amass wealth for oneself, pile up lots of things in a store room for no reason at all, even at the point where it can get damage and be thrown out without use for any one. It does not matter one is rich or poor, but all of us can be generous in sharing all that we have to the one who lacks what one needs and necessary for life. So Let us be generous, for God reflects in and through us whenever we are generous with others in kindness.

2.     Our receptivity to God’s Word:

Receptivity demands our proper disposition to obtain the things we want or wish. The disposition of receptivity depends on how well we are prepared and ready to receive. Our receptivity to God’s Word would prove whether we are open to the offer of generosity that God makes out of his love for us. In order to receive God’s word into our hearts, we need to prepare the soil of mind, heart, body and soul well. Once the platform or the soil is ready for the sowing of seeds, the seeds take deep root and grow healthy. Similarly when the word of God takes deep root in our hearts, it could bring out growth and fruit in plenty.

Today, what makes us totally unresponsive and unreceptive to God’s word is like seeds that are sown on the pathway. Those on the pathway hear and do not understand and so the evil one snatches away, because they are not deeply rooted in the soil. Today, what makes us totally unresponsive and unreceptive to God’s word is like a rocky ground which is very hard and no roots can go deeper. Those on the rocky ground hear the word of God with enthusiasm initially, but problems and persecution occur on account of the word of the world make one to lose the grip. Here too the seed or word of God has not taken deep root.

Today what makes us unresponsive and unreceptive to God word is like a seed that’s sown in the thorny bush, where one hears the word but cares and worries, riches and powers of the world choke their interest and enthusiasm for God’s word and they too wither away. Here, the danger comes not from the inadequate resources in the soil, but from competition. The abundant growth of the thorns shows that there is nothing wrong with the soil here; the problem is that it is already occupied and there is no room for a new seeds to sprout or plants to grow. There is a lack of space for growth.  The plants do not necessarily die, but they cannot produce grain because of the competition for light and nourishment.

Yes, first of all we need to prepare the soil of entire selves so well, so that the seeds sown on the soil can take deep root and grow. Secondly, even if the soil is good, we need to make room for other seeds to sprout and grow healthy. The soil is nothing but our entire selves. We need to make God as the dwelling place of our own selves; it has to be completely immersed with love, kindness and compassion of God, so that the self becomes totally God’s, become fertile and bear fruit in plenty. Yes, if we are receptive to God’s word and his voice, God will make our totality of being and existence fertile and healthy; our growth will be steadfast and steady. That’s what we have at the end of the parable the good soil. In contrast and comparison to the soil along the path, rocky and thorny bush, the seed that’s sown in good soil grows and is more productive. Because it has been prepared well, it has the power to receive and become productive. If we allow God to stay with us, be prepared to receive God, we shall become more productive in all areas of life.

But mostly what makes our receptivity of God’s word dull and deceptive is our unpreparedness and unwillingness to receive God’s word. We are not first and foremost ready and willing to welcome God’s word into our hearts. That’s why Pope Francis aptly shares, “The sower is Jesus. With this image, we can see that he presents himself as one who does not impose himself, but rather offers himself. He does not attract us by conquering us, but by donating himself: he casts seeds. With patience and generosity, he spreads his Word, which is not a cage or a trap, but a seed which can bear fruit. And how can it bear fruit? If we welcome it.” Yes, only if we welcome and are receptive God’s word, we shall grow healthy and be productive in life. So let us prepare well the soil of total selves, so that God stays in us and gives us steady growth in life.

3.     Result of our receptivity:

The result of anything will only be seen, how much efforts we have put in or how hard we worked. Everything does not happen overnight and everything does not happen so easily as well. Any area of life for that matter, as much as we work, so much shall be our gain and benefit too. It certainly applies to the spiritual realm or the spiritual perfection we would like to attain. We make spiritual sojourn, so that God dwells in us and we make God as part of our lives to live life happily and meaningfully. For such an act, we need to be receptive to God’s word fully and listen to his promptings through the Spirit of God. That’s what we see in the first reading from prophet Isaiah.

Prophet Isaiah very beautifully describes the power of God’s word. He uses the analogy of rain and snow that fall from heaven. Just as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall his word be that goes out from his mouth. It shall not return empty, without accomplishing for the purpose for which it is sent to the world. Yes, such is the power of God’s word producing fruits with due results, making the land and people fertile and fruitful. The pattern of the movement that God uses from upward to downward is perfect, because it serves and accomplishes the purpose for which it was sent down. Yes, if God has sent out his word to the earth for a purpose, it would have its effect and power. Among all words that God spoke or send, Jesus the incarnate Word is a greatest gift for all of us to dwell in God’s vicinity. However we are but our readiness and willingness too is required, because God respects our freedom and expects our return to him with hearts pure and holy.

Very interestingly, the Gospel reading of the day too gives us what would be the result of our receptivity to God’s word on the good soil. It could be hundred fold or sixty or thirty it all depends on the level of our receptivity to God’s invitation and God’s word that we show. If we are fully receptive to God’s word and are open to his inspiration and promptings of the Spirit, we shall obtain happiness in God forever. Certainly, the second reading St. Paul’s letter to the Romans puts us on the right track. St. Paul shares that the entire creation suffers and the restoration from suffering creation to its fullness and final glory or redemption is what we are eagerly looking for. Yes, the Spirit in us will enable us to obtain such glorious liberty from suffering and pain to a glorious redemption. If we could note ‘the Spirit’ is not mentioned nearly as often in vv. 18–30 as in vv. 1–17 of Romans 8. The reading too helps us realize and bridges the gap between our present status and future deliverance that the Spirit plays the crucial role. For the Spirit is the “first fruits” of God’s gifts to us. The Spirit connects our “already” with our “not yet,” making “the hope of glory.  

Perhaps it was our First parents’ sin that God cursed the ground originally and it is because of our continued sinning that so much wrong is done or we could see in God’s creation. However, there is a glorious note of victory in the created world. Just as man’s fall has caused and dragged creation downward, so our glorification will not only end that trend but introduce a new age where the new heaven and new earth will demonstrate the glory of God and the redemption of entire humanity. Yes, if we are receptive to God’s word, the result of receptivity would be abundant. But most of us instead of making an effort to be receptive always look for the end result or get fed up of trying out for few times and give up losing interest by frustration and disinterestedness. Let us remember as much as we are receptive to God and His word, so much shall be our outcome or result of happiness. Let us give hundred percent receptivity to God’s word and we shall obtain hundred percent redemption by God.

RESPOND:

Do we understand God’s generosity and the lavish love that he shows us always?

Do we open and are receptive to God’s word, His voice and invitation in our lives?

Do we look for the end results before even we could begin the good act or give up making efforts to be receptive to God’s words and ways?

Let us realize the generosity of God and be receptive to God’s invitation, God’s word and God’s voice in our lives. Amen.

God bless us all! Live Jesus!

Fr. Ramesh George MSFS

rameshvkmsfs@gmail.com

9500930968