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“St. Anne with the Virgin and Child and St. Joachim” (Detail)
by Joos van Cleve, c. 1520 |
Readings for Friday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
Readings and Commentary: [3]
Reading 1: Jeremiah 3:14-17
Return, rebellious children, says the LORD,
for I am your Master;
I will take you, one from a city, two from a clan,
and bring you to Zion.
I will appoint over you shepherds after my own heart,
who will shepherd you wisely and prudently.
When you multiply and become fruitful in the land,
says the LORD,
They will in those days no longer say,
"The ark of the covenant of the LORD!"
They will no longer think of it, or remember it,
or miss it, or make another.
At that time they will call Jerusalem the LORD's throne;
there all nations will be gathered together
to honor the name of the LORD at Jerusalem,
and they will walk no longer in their hardhearted wickedness.
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Commentary on Jer 3:14-17
"The fall of the city to the armies of Nebuchadnezzar and the deportations that followed (587 BC) marked the depth of Judah's misfortune; her repeated infidelity was the sole cause. Here, as in the previous oracle, the prophet [Jeremiah] says that God is ready to receive Israel and Judah back, provided they seek his forgiveness (Jeremiah 3:12-13)." [4]
Jeremiah, speaking in the prophetic voice of God, introduces a new idea. Previously the Hebrew peoples saw the Ark of the Covenant as the focus of God’s presence on earth (Exodus 25:8ff). A day was coming when Jerusalem would become that focus, and the temple in Jerusalem would come to be called the Throne of the Lord. When that occurred, the people would be united in their dedication to the Lord and they would no longer be led astray.
CCC: Jer 2-3 1611; Jer 3:4-19 370
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Responsorial Psalm: Jeremiah 31:10, 11-12abcd, 13
R. (see 10d) The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
Hear the word of the LORD, O nations,
proclaim it on distant isles, and say:
He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together,
he guards them as a shepherd his flock.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
The LORD shall ransom Jacob,
he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror.
Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion,
they shall come streaming to the LORD's blessings:
The grain, the wine, and the oil,
the sheep and the oxen.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
Then the virgins shall make merry and dance,
and young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into joy,
I will console and gladden them after their sorrows.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
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Commentary on Jer 31:10, 11-12abcd, 13
The prophet Jeremiah foresees the return of the people from exile and the joyful restoration of Jerusalem. The people rejoice as they return to prosperity, led by the Lord, the faithful shepherd who accomplishes this saving act. As in Isaiah 42:10 and Isaiah 49:1, all nations are called to witness God’s saving hand stretched out to his people.
The song from Jeremiah recalls the Diaspora, the exile of the Hebrews. In these strophes, the prophet sees the salvific work of God who shepherds his people as they return from exile in the “new exodus,” and the reunification of the people. He prophesies their return to the land from which they had been driven, giving praise to God for his mercy.
CCC: Jer 31 1611
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Gospel: Matthew 13:18-23
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Hear the parable of the sower.
The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the Kingdom
without understanding it,
and the Evil One comes and steals away
what was sown in his heart.
The seed sown on rocky ground
is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.
But he has no root and lasts only for a time.
When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
he immediately falls away.
The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word,
but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word
and it bears no fruit.
But the seed sown on rich soil
is the one who hears the word and understands it,
who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold."
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Commentary on Mt 13:18-23
This passage from St. Matthew is the explanation of the “Parable of the Sower.” This explanation is given to the disciples as St. Matthew’s way of explaining it to his broader audience. It follows Jesus’ earlier response to their question about why he teaches using parables and his lament that many will not see the message contained or hear these teachings.
“Jesus here acts as ‘mystagogue,’ initiating the disciples into the ‘mystery,’ or secret meaning, of the parable. The incarnate Logos, Jesus of Nazareth, is the One in whom the eternal Wisdom both devised and realized the structure of the cosmic order, the structure of man’s being, as well as the plan for our redemption. […] For this reason, only can he personally reveal the internal meaning, workings, and interconnections of these various planes of the divine creativity.” [5]
CCC: Mt 13:3-23 1724; Mt 13:22 29
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Reflection
We reflect on the amazing imagery of the parable of the Sower. This parable is so rich for us because 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. As 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 when 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.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio[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.
[4] The Navarre Bible: “Major Prophets”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, pp. 313-14.
[5] Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume III, Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 2012, p. 215.
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