HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE 3RD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME [YEAR B]

HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE 3RD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME [YEAR B]

THEME: The parable of the sower according to the Gospel of Mark.

BY: Fr Deotacious Chikontwe SMA

READINGS OF THE DAY
1Samuel 7:4-17
Psalm 88:4-5,27-30
Mark 4:1-20

LITURGICAL COLOUR
GREEN

INTRODUCTION
Good morning my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time of Year B. Today, the Church also commemorates the memorial of Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church.

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FROM OUR FIRST READING
In our first reading today, we heard about King David of Israel, after having united the kingdom, defeated the enemies of Israel and conquered Jerusalem, the city that he made to be the new capital of the kingdom, he finally had peace and prosperity throughout his kingdom. And then, King David desired to build a proper House, a great Temple dedicated to God and for His worship in Jerusalem, which he then conveyed to the prophet Nathan, the prophet who likely succeeded Samuel in being the prophet of God among the people of Israel.

FROM OUR GOSPEL READING
In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the famous parable of the sower which the Lord Jesus told and explained to the people who were gathered there to listen to Him. The parable of the sower showed how the sower spread the seeds that fell on various places, and how each of those seeds turned out to be. Some of those seeds fell on the roadside only to be picked up and eaten by the birds of the air, representing all those who have ignored God’s words, His truth and calling, and hence, the evil ones came to snatch them into the path of darkness.

WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THE LITURGY OF TODAY?
Todays liturgy especially the Gospel reading is teaching us that, there are four types of hearers of the word of God:

1. First are the prejudiced hearers. They shut their minds. They may be ignoring and not really listening at all. Such a person is unteachable and blind to what they really don’t want to hear.

2. Second are the shallow hearers. They fail to think things out or think them through; they lack depth. They may be pretending like saying: “yeah, uh-uh, right, okay.” They may initially respond with an emotional reaction; but when it wears off their minds wander to something else.

3 . Third are the selective hearers. They are such because they have many interests or cares, but lack the ability to hear or comprehend what is truly important. They are too busy in order to pray or too preoccupied in order to study and to meditate God’s word. They may practice selective hearing, choosing only certain parts of the conversation which interest them.

4. Fourth are the open-minded hearers .They are, at all times, willing to listen and to learn.They are never too proud or too busy to learn.They listen in order to understand. They practice attentive listening, paying attention and focusing energy on the words that are being said.

ABOUT THE SAINT OF THE DAY
Today, the Church also celebrates the Memorial of Saint Francis de Sales, a great and renowned servant of God, whose life and dedication to God have been great inspiration to many people who were strengthened and empowered by his examples. St. Francis de Sales was born into a noble family and was raised to be a magistrate and civil servant by his family, which led him to be very well educated. However, God has different plan for St. Francis de Sales, as He began planting the seeds of calling in him, to do more for the salvation of souls, which he responded positively, and eventually leading him down the path to priesthood.
Let us all discern carefully our path in life so that in whatever we do, we will always strive to glorify God and to put Him first and foremost in all things.
Saint Francis de Sales Pray For Us Sinners.

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