BEARING FRUITS OF ETERNAL LIFE

⏰Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

????Isa 55:10-11; Psalm 65:10, 11, 12-13, 14 (R. Luke 8:8); Rom 8:18-23; Matt 13:1-23

Christianity is like a tree that is planted in the soil, wherein the soil is our heart. In Agricultural Science, we learn that the growth and productivity of different fruit trees depend so much on the type of soil in the place where such trees are planted. In addition to that, how much manure that is applied to the soil is equally important especially in places where there are no much nutrients in the soil.

The parable of the sower which Jesus tells in the Gospel says that much. The nature of the place that the seed fell into determines the sustainability of their growth. Jesus used that to expose the different levels of openness and disposition of people towards the Good News that he brought. So the response Jesus gave to his disciples (cf. Matt 13:11-17) when they asked him, Why do you speak to them in parable? should not be seen as if Jesus did not want the Jews to understand his message. It is rather an exposition of their hardness of heart against Jesus and his teachings (cf. Matt 13:15).

Being open to the Word of God is surely not an easy project. There is bound to be distractions and sufferings, and sometimes, temptations to take God less seriously. All these were evident in the early Church and that is why the evangelist Matthew recorded it in the Gospel.

St Paul encourages us in the Second Reading that whatever suffering we might encounter on the way in our journey of faith, we have to look forward and be encouraged by the glory that is to be revealed. This glory is the glory we share in God as the children of God, which finds it summit in Beatific Vision seeing God face to face.

Let us also take courage in the prophecy of Isaiah in the First Reading. God continues to water the heart of each of us irrespective of our how hardened our heart might be. He never gives up on us; He wants us to bear good fruit as it is through that that He might be glorified (cf. John 15:8). But cut off from him, we can really do nothing (John 15:5).

May we ever remain with him that we might bear good fruits that would lead us to eternal life. Amen.

Have a beautiful and fruitful Sunday. Peace be with you.