(Optional Memorial for Saint Sharbel Makhluf, Priest)
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"The Israelites Gathering Manna" by Ercole de' Roberti, c. 1490
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Reading 1: Exodus 16:1-5, 9-15
The children of Israel
and came into the desert of Sin
which is between Elim and Sinai,
on the fifteenth day of the second month
after their departure from the land of Egypt
Here in the desert the whole assembly of the children of Israel
grumbled against Moses and Aaron.
The children of Israel
"Would that we had died at the LORD's hand in the land of Egypt
as we sat by our fleshpots and ate our fill of bread!
But you had to lead us into this desert
to make the whole community die of famine!"
Then the LORD said to Moses,
"I will now rain down bread from heaven for you.
Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion;
thus will I test them,
to see whether they follow my instructions or not.
On the sixth day, however, when they prepare what they bring in,
let it be twice as much as they gather on the other days."
Then Moses said to Aaron, "Tell the whole congregation
of the children of Israel
Present yourselves before the LORD,
for he has heard your grumbling."
When Aaron announced this to the whole assembly of the children of Israel
they turned toward the desert, and lo,
the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud!
The LORD spoke to Moses and said,
"I have heard the grumbling of the children of Israel
Tell them: In the evening twilight you shall eat flesh,
and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread,
so that you may know that I, the LORD, am your God."
In the evening quail came up and covered the camp.
In the morning a dew lay all about the camp,
and when the dew evaporated, there on the surface of the desert
were fine flakes like hoarfrost on the ground.
On seeing it, the children of Israel
for they did not know what it was.
But Moses told them,
"This is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat."
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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.
They tempted God in their hearts
by demanding the food they craved.
Yes, they spoke against God, saying,
"Can God spread a table in the desert?"
R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
Yet he commanded the skies above
and the doors of heaven he opened;
He rained manna upon them for food
and gave them heavenly bread.
R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
Man ate the bread of angels,
food he sent them in abundance.
He stirred up the east wind in the heavens,
and by his power brought on the south wind.
R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
And he rained meat upon them like dust,
and, like the sand of the sea, winged fowl,
Which fell in the midst of their camp
round about their tents.
R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
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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
On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.
Such large crowds gathered around him
that he got into a boat and sat down,
and the whole crowd stood along the shore.
And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:
“A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and birds came and ate it up.
Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep,
and when the sun rose it was scorched,
and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.
But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit,
a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
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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 "The Israelites Gathering Manna" by Ercole de' Roberti, c. 1490.
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
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