The Fifteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time

Well Welcome to those reading this.  This will be the first of, hopefully, many posts.

"Preach the Gospel every day, if nececary use words" ~ St. Francis

The theme of this week’s reading is listening:

There were two men about to tee off.  This was their weekly way of catching up on each other’s lives.  As they sat in the cart waiting to tee off, the one man said to his friend, "My wife talks to herself a lot."  His friend chuckled and answered, "mine does too, but she doesn't know it.  She thinks that I'm listening."

As amusing as this is it is so true of people every day of their lives.  In a world of iPhones, Wi-Fi, facebook, and Email, there almost is no need to listen to people.  We can just read their latest post, and find out what they have going on in their lives.

In this week’s gospel, Jesus tells us of the Parable of the Seeds.  Behold, the sower went forth to sow; and as he sowed, some [seeds] fell by the way side, and the birds came and devoured them: and others fell upon the rocky places, where they had not much earth: and straightway they sprang up, because they had no deepness of earth: and when the sun was risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And others fell upon the thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked them: and others fell upon the good ground, and yielded fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He that hath ears let him hear.

In this story, the Seed represents the word of God.  Many people hear the word, but soon lose sight of its meaning.  They do not have the roots to let the word survive long enough.

In the first reading Isaiah tells us that the word, is like rain falling from heaven.  It does not return to the sky until it has saturated the earth, providing the life force for the seed to grow.  Only then, can it return to the heavens.

Listening is not the easiest thing, in the age of soccer games, working parents, dance class, and the like.  When do you have time to listen for the voice of God? We are constantly on the move.  It might help to take a step back, to take a break from the world around you, and offer a prayer up to God for help through the week.  You will be surprised what can happen, when you have the help of the Lord.

So unlike the one golfer, pay attention, for God is not talking to himself.  In hearing you may listen, and understand; and, through understanding comes salvation.