Memorial of Saint Francis de Sales,
bishop and doctor of the Church
Biographical Information about St. Francis de Sales
Readings for the Memorial of St. Francis de Sales
Commentary:
Reading 1 Heb 10:11-18
We begin today with a statement of how the levitcal priesthood’s sacrifices for the remittance of sin is ineffective compared to the sacrifice of Jesus whose one sacrifice released us for all time. Then Hebrews again hammers the New Covenant home to us. The author quotes, first Psalm 110 (Psalm 110:1 )and then the book of the Prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:31-34). He takes the prophecy of the New Covenant and shows how it is fulfilled in Christ.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 110:1, 2, 3, 4
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
This passage from Psalm 110 supports the Hebrews reading that quotes it today. The messianic reference in the first verse gives a clear indication of Christ’s eternal nature and ultimate destiny.
Gospel Mk 4:1-20
We are given today the parable of the Sower from Mark’s Gospel. Jesus uses the rich analogy of the seed (of faith given in Baptism) to show the various courses of faith in human endeavor. Because our selection gives not only the parable but the Lord’s explanation of its meaning the only historical not we will make is that, at that point in history in that region, when planting a field, the seed was sown first and then the field was plowed.
Reflection:
The Parable of the Sower is a powerful one. It reminds us that we are both the Sower/Harvester and the seed in the parable. Initially the sower was Jesus and before him to a lesser extent the Prophets of the Old Testament. They brought us the word of God and much of what they said fell on deaf ears. That would be, according to the parable’s legend the seed that fell on the “path “. It had no chance to bear fruit because it was never planted. Similar fates awaited the seed that landed on “rocky ground” and among the “thorns”, while they germinated they never reached maturity.
The Sower’s task was handed on. It was handed from the Apostles who received it from Jesus to the Saints and especially the Doctors of the Church like St. Francis de Sales whose memorial we celebrate today. The task came down through all those millennia to us, the Disciples of Christ in this age. And here is where the analogy gets interesting. Today if we looked at the same agrarian analogy we would wonder why in those early days so much was wasted. Today, mechanical planters multitask to plow the fields, plant the grain, and then cover it so the birds cannot get it. No waste and the labor of a single person can produce yields that far exceed anything the farmers of Jesus’ day could have expected.
The sowers of the word today have similar automated tools that can help spread the word. But unlike the agricultural counterpart, more is wasted, not less. In the end words are cheap. Words that are not backed by action are not only cheap but they could be analogized with sterile seed. As sowers we must first be the seeds that fall on fertile ground and grow to maturity. We must make sure our roots go deep to withstand the harsh conditions that will be faced. We must insure that that stalk of grain we hope will provide the next generation of grain is well nourished with food and water that is Word and Sacrament.
Books have been written about the wondrous analogy of the Sower and the Harvester. We leave you today with a short quote from St. Francis de Sales whom we memorialize who was an example of what we can be:
“There are many who say to the Lord, "I give myself wholly to Thee, without any reserve," but there are few who embrace the practice of this abandonment, which consists in receiving with a certain indifference every sort of event, as it happens in conformity with Divine Providence, as well afflictions as consolations, contempt and reproaches as honor and glory. “
Saint Francis de Sales
Pax
bishop and doctor of the Church
Biographical Information about St. Francis de Sales
Readings for the Memorial of St. Francis de Sales
Commentary:
Reading 1 Heb 10:11-18
We begin today with a statement of how the levitcal priesthood’s sacrifices for the remittance of sin is ineffective compared to the sacrifice of Jesus whose one sacrifice released us for all time. Then Hebrews again hammers the New Covenant home to us. The author quotes, first Psalm 110 (Psalm 110:1 )and then the book of the Prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:31-34). He takes the prophecy of the New Covenant and shows how it is fulfilled in Christ.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 110:1, 2, 3, 4
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
This passage from Psalm 110 supports the Hebrews reading that quotes it today. The messianic reference in the first verse gives a clear indication of Christ’s eternal nature and ultimate destiny.
Gospel Mk 4:1-20
We are given today the parable of the Sower from Mark’s Gospel. Jesus uses the rich analogy of the seed (of faith given in Baptism) to show the various courses of faith in human endeavor. Because our selection gives not only the parable but the Lord’s explanation of its meaning the only historical not we will make is that, at that point in history in that region, when planting a field, the seed was sown first and then the field was plowed.
Reflection:
The Parable of the Sower is a powerful one. It reminds us that we are both the Sower/Harvester and the seed in the parable. Initially the sower was Jesus and before him to a lesser extent the Prophets of the Old Testament. They brought us the word of God and much of what they said fell on deaf ears. That would be, according to the parable’s legend the seed that fell on the “path “. It had no chance to bear fruit because it was never planted. Similar fates awaited the seed that landed on “rocky ground” and among the “thorns”, while they germinated they never reached maturity.
The Sower’s task was handed on. It was handed from the Apostles who received it from Jesus to the Saints and especially the Doctors of the Church like St. Francis de Sales whose memorial we celebrate today. The task came down through all those millennia to us, the Disciples of Christ in this age. And here is where the analogy gets interesting. Today if we looked at the same agrarian analogy we would wonder why in those early days so much was wasted. Today, mechanical planters multitask to plow the fields, plant the grain, and then cover it so the birds cannot get it. No waste and the labor of a single person can produce yields that far exceed anything the farmers of Jesus’ day could have expected.
The sowers of the word today have similar automated tools that can help spread the word. But unlike the agricultural counterpart, more is wasted, not less. In the end words are cheap. Words that are not backed by action are not only cheap but they could be analogized with sterile seed. As sowers we must first be the seeds that fall on fertile ground and grow to maturity. We must make sure our roots go deep to withstand the harsh conditions that will be faced. We must insure that that stalk of grain we hope will provide the next generation of grain is well nourished with food and water that is Word and Sacrament.
Books have been written about the wondrous analogy of the Sower and the Harvester. We leave you today with a short quote from St. Francis de Sales whom we memorialize who was an example of what we can be:
“There are many who say to the Lord, "I give myself wholly to Thee, without any reserve," but there are few who embrace the practice of this abandonment, which consists in receiving with a certain indifference every sort of event, as it happens in conformity with Divine Providence, as well afflictions as consolations, contempt and reproaches as honor and glory. “
Saint Francis de Sales
Pax
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