XV SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
THE DIVINE WORD IS STRENGTH AND LIGHT
By our Pastor, Fr. Carmelo Jiménez
The first reading and the gospel for this Sunday make a great combination. The first reading speaks about of the Word of God and the gospel tells us the parable of the sower. Everything refers to the Word of God as light for our daily lives.
“Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth.” (Is 55: 10-11a) This paragraph from the first reading can be interpreted as the strength of God’s word that changes history. If we speak about a theology of the Word of God, we can affirm it is the strength of the prophetic word as Word of God. That paragraph wants to reveal that the Divine Word is creative and transforming. The effects of the Divine Word are: saving, encouraging, consoling, judging injustices and judging the powerful. And I can affirm from my experience that God’s word comes in many forms and in many ways through those who put their trust in Him. And from that trust and energy, God acts in the life of each person and in the whole world.
When I said that I can affirm from my experience, I want to remember my first vocational moment. My father, my brothers and I arrived from the country to our house, we were all wet. We bathed and went to eat in the kitchen because it was the warmest place in my house and most comfortable place too. In there, my sister, the eldest of all, asked me: Carmelo, why do not you study for padrecito? I asked her, how many years would I have to study in the seminary and after knowing that there were so many years, I was angry and left that place. Never again was that matter spoken about, but the seed was already sown. The death of my father came and with that, soon I began to work, which moved me away from God and it seemed that Carmelo was lost. And in the moment that I least expected and in the most surprising way, through the person that I never imagined, God became present in my life. He completely changed my life, taking me in new directions, and keeping me on His path until He consecrated me as priest and today I’m here as a missionary. And again, I affirm the effects of the word of God: saving, encouraging, consoling, judging injustices and judging the powerful.
“A sower went out to sow.” (Mt 13:3b) In the Gospel we hear the parable of the Sower, which is precious because of its meaning, but today we will reflect while comparing it to the word-seed. The seed which falls on different soil, which is later compared to different attitudes and moments of human beings, is in fact the Word of God in us. It helps to guide our life and fills our life with meaning, creating a beautiful relationship with the Creator and of course with nature.
Judging it with our eyes it is possible that we look for the greatest harvest, devaluing the smaller harvests. We always want more and more. But the prophet from Nazareth was not such a perfectionist. He wanted to transmit trust in the strength of God which comes to us through the prophetic words and prophetic parable of the sower. The sower knows that not everything he sows will be reaped, but rather being realistic, he trusts in the seed that he sows, in other words the Word that sheds light and that saves. When someone can only give twenty or forty or sixtyfold from their life, God does not disregard it, but rather he pays attention to it. With this paragraph of the gospel we understand that the seed is grace; with the law, what matters is the production.
The readings from this Sunday are for us Jesus’ invitation to live as he lived, moved by the Holy Spirit: with hope, trusting in God not appearances, and in faithfulness to his word. If this is how we live and we receive Him, the Word of God will produce abundant fruit in us.