CATHOLIC HOMILIES: 15TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - YEAR A

CATHOLIC HOMILIES: 15TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR A

HOMILY THEME: As you make your soil so shall your seed grow…

BY: Fr. Johnbosco Obika

Like the rain the Word comes! The Word of God is on its purpose. From basic science we know that rainfall follows the simple process of condensation, precipitation and evaporation. That is to say that it gathers in the atmosphere, falls on the ground and never goes back until the seeds sprout, the plants flower, their petals bloom and foods are placed on our tables. This is the simple analogy that Isaiah used to describe the word of God which does not relent until it achieves it’s purpose like the rain.

The Word of God always accomplished its mission! From the beginning, the Word thrives and accomplished it’s intent. In Genesis, when the world was like a formless void, the Word says, “Let there be… ”, and everything came be. “The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). In Matthew 9:2-8, the Word said: “Get up and walk”, and the lame walked! In Mark 5:41, the Word commanded: “Talitha Cumi”, and the little girl was restored to life. The Word came over the storm and said: “Peace, be still!” and the torrent was laid to rest! (Mark 4:39). The Word said in Matthew 26:26-27: “This is my body…this is my blood”, and through all generation his presence still remains with us in the Eucharist! The pages of the New and Old testaments are replete with the Word of God on its purpose.

The Word of God in your life is no different! No doubt, God has good plans for us which he achieves by the power of his Word (Jeremiah 29:11). However, there are some obstacles that may hamper the purpose. The gospel reading of today enlists those obstacles through the parable of the sower. The parable raises a big question about who should be blamed for the seeds that fell on the wrong soil. Is it the sower for his carelessness or the land for it’s unreadiness? The point of today’s gospel is not so much about what the sower did but what the soil did, not about the action of the sower but the reaction of the soil. Good seeds were spread across the land. They can only survive and thrive in land with favourable condition.

As you make your soil! The human heart is by default good soil. But it is often replaced with some rocky, carefree and thorny hearts due to greed, lust, wickedness and unnecessary cares. The truth is that the word of God often visits us but often our hearts are not ready to grow the seed. May God keep our hearts always loamy so that his Word will germinate and achieve its plan and purpose for us which is abundant harvest.

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