15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Matthew 13:1-23: The sower went out to sow…

In taking up the challenge of preparing a homily for the fifteenth Sunday of the Year, I do so as I face another challenge: that of presenting thirty four young candidates for Confirmation and First Eucharist. In this situation acting as a sower going out to sow the seed of the Word of God, one can easily be reminded of the ‘ground’ that Jesus describes in the parable.

A variety of young ones and parents make up the group. It is interesting that Jesus ‘got into a boat and sat there’. He probably had to call for attention as he describes the process of scattering the seed on the ground. The sower in the parable realizes that he must be wasteful in the process so that the seed will reach every possible part of the space. Speaking to children, we never know just who is listening but we are very often surprised by some of the feedback. The Word of God speaks to little ones as it does to adults who listen with mind and heart.

In our preaching we act like the sower in the parable, realizing that in our spreading of the Word, the seed, we are but mouthpieces. The Spirit works through us and what sometimes seems a fruitless task bears a rich harvest. The reading from Isaiah speaks of the life giving rain and snow which gives growth to the seed and ultimately bread for eating. This makes real the Gospel message which promises a rich harvest of blessings to those who preach and to those who listen and hear.

The ground in the parable varies in its ability to be productive. In our experience of listening and hearing we are vulnerable. There are the obstacles of sin and neglect, of selective hearing and deliberate misinterpretation. Today in the celebration of the Eucharist, we pray that by sharing in this mystery, the saving love of God may grow within us.

Pamela Davis OP