Scripture Reflections for the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Let that divine Word in all of its manifestations, through creation, yes, through the prophets of Israel, in Jesus and his Eucharist, let that prophetic Word invade you. Trust me, it will change you.”

“Friends: Where is your good ground, your path, your weeds, your shallow soil? Take a tour of your heart with Jesus and find out.”

“Jesus was not (and is not) worried about being seen, heard, understood: he is concerned with the atmosphere – the space and place where ‘we can be me’ – where our personal dignity and calling as children of God can be made present”

“Spirituality is the response of man to the divine Word – the Word revealed in Scripture, embodied in Jesus Christ and made accessible to us, for our profit, in all the ways the Church of God knows how”

“The remedy for fear is hope. These parables, if we allow ourselves to live in them, as well as by them, will teach us what it means to live a hopeful life.”

“There is evil. We must face this, bravely, in ourselves, and in others. There is good. We must have stories to tell, of good things done by good people we know. Might we even have good things to tell them about, modestly, done by ourselves?”

“The Bible is quite clear that very often humanity fails to listen, but it is equally clear that God’s word is not just a sound that happens, but a reality which has an effect, and an effect which is more powerful than the obstinacy of humanity”

“And we learn in faith that although it would be foolish not to hope for a generous (and numerous) response to Jesus’ call to discipleship, growth comes not just when the church is prosperous and triumphant but more often when she is weaker and persecuted”

“What is this Kingdom? It is where God’s will runs, which means where his justice, love, peace, forgiveness and healing reign. The ‘seed’ is the ‘word of the Kingdom’ — its proclamation, and the whole point of the parable, surely, is that this either means everything, or nothing.”

“Let us not shy away from the demands of our environmental responsibilities but instead nurture our hearts through education, awareness and meaningful action”

“True love gives even when nothing is given back. It isn't calculating and measured and careful, it's reckless, free, indifferent. This is just the way that God loves.”

“To know the will of God, to know the mind of God, to understand his purpose and path is all important. Without it you lose your way amidst all the conflicting voices and inclinations of the world.”

“God made the seeds, soil, sun, and water. By his grace and our acquiescence, our success becomes his success, we grow to be more loving, self-sacrificing, joyful, and kind. We may not be successful in a worldly sense, but we have a rich harvest to share in God’s love.”

“Should we worry about life, about our future and that of our family welfare? Yes. But what kind of worry? Is it the worry that allows God to take the lead or the one that puts him behind the bar?”

“Let us not close our minds to the poor and vulnerable, let us hear the cry of the poor and the cry of the Earth and work together for our common home, where all have an equal chance at not only survival, but a dignified, meaningful, and fulfilling life”

“God’s Word still stands as an effective beacon. It can change hearts and whole societies. This should lead us to study it, meditate on it, memorize it.”

“Sometimes we are poor soil, but God continues to reach us in different ways, in different paths and tills us until we’re fertile”

“The parable of the sowing of the seed, the Word of God, is not so much about losing our salvation, as it is about failing to produce fruit for the kingdom of God”

“We can commit to spreading the good news, be instruments of peace, be fountains of hope, be celebrators of diversity, be true to our faith and attend to the last, the least and the lost of this world wherever we maybe, in any way we can”

“You can't read the Bible without being changed. If you just a little bit open your mind and your heart to this Word, this Word that made the universe, you won't be the same person afterwards.”

“The Lord is sowing the seed of his Word every moment of every day in everything and everybody you encounter. The most important question in your life: how do you respond to it?”

“He sows his love every place, exuberantly, creatively, even a little bit irresponsibly, over the top is how he sows his seed. What's the good news of this gospel is, look, if you are the least bit receptive to it you will come to life 30, 60 and 100 fold.”