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| “St. Anne with the Virgin and Child and St. Joachim” (Detail) by Joos van Cleve, c. 1520 |
Commentary:
Reading 1: Exodus 16:1-5, 9-15
Commentary on Ex 16:1-5, 9-15
Having successfully escaped from Egypt and Pharaoh’s army, the Israelites now find themselves in difficult surroundings with little food. In response to their plight, God provides for them through the auspices of Moses by sending manna to sustain them. This “Bread from heaven” is seen as a gift from God; the manna is said to come down from the sky (see also Psalm 78:25; Wisdom 16:20). Manna is also later compared by Christ to the Eucharist he offers (see John 6: 31ff).
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 78:18-19, 23-24, 25-26, 27-28
R. (24b) The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
Commentary on Ps 78:18-19, 23-24, 25-26, 27-28
Psalm 78 is a historical recital, recounting the encounter of the Israelites with God. It emphasizes their rejection of his gifts, and the perceived punishments for these rejections. In this selection the psalmist recalls the journey in the wilderness, and the anger at God for leading them on without food. God answered their plea with manna (Exodus 16:1ff).
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Gospel: Matthew 13:1-9
Commentary on Mt 13:1-9
St. Matthew’s Gospel begins the third great discourse of teachings on the Kingdom of God through parables. We hear that Jesus is teaching from a boat, which would provide a natural amphitheater, with the ground sloping to the shore. Here the Lord presents the parable of the “Sower.” Jesus follows the unvarnished parable with a deeper explanation to the disciples (Matthew 13: 18-23). As a historical note, at that point in history in that region, when planting a field, the seed was sown first and then the field was plowed.
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Reflection:
We pause to reflect on the amazing imagery of the “Parable of the Sower.” The reason this parable is so rich for us is that, not only do we look at it and see ourselves as the seed (and the various circumstances of its growth), but we can also see ourselves as the sower. We can even look at ourselves as the soil in which the seed falls.
If we see ourselves as the seed, we concern ourselves with accepting God’s word in our hearts so we can put out deep roots. When we do so we cannot be snatched away, the sun cannot burn us and the weeds cannot choke us. We see the only way for us to do that is by constant care and attention. We water ourselves with the sacraments, we feed ourselves with the word of God and our roots become our prayer.
If we see ourselves as the sower we must have the attitude of Christ. He knew that the life-giving words he spoke would not generally fall on receptive ears (hence the reason for the parable in the first place). He (and we) must accept that we have a task to do as the sower. We must put the seeds of God’s love out there in that vast field that is the world and trust God to watch over it.
When we see ourselves as the soil, ah, that is something we can control. We can easily see the seeds of faith in others. Sometimes that faith has germinated and we will be the rich fertile soil that helps it grow. Other times it has not even germinated, we encourage it providing examples and nurturing. Sometimes we see it choked by weeds and we do our best to move that seed to a more wholesome environment. And sometimes we see the seeds parched due to lack of nourishment and we do our best to provide it. The hardest part of the parable of the sower is being the soil.
Today let us pray that we have the strength to be that seed in good ground. Let us ask God to help us be good sowers of his love. And finally, we ask God to make us the best possible soil, encouraging those around us to grow and helping them build the roots of prayer that will sustain them.
Pax
[1] The picture is “St. Anne with the Virgin and Child and St. Joachim” (Detail) by Joos van Cleve, c. 1520
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