The Word of God and Our Response (Sunday, Week 15, Year A)

-
The first reading (Isa. 55:10-11) likens the Word of God to rainwater which has the power to bring about germination and growth of sown seeds; the Gospel (Matt. 13:1-23) likens the word of God to a seed which has the potency to germinate into new life. These are agricultural expressions which are very clear to us. But within the context of agricultural practice, the surface which receives the rainwater or the seed matters a lot. It is not enough that rain falls, on what does it fall? It is not enough that seeds are scattered, on what are they scattered? If the rainwater meant to water and soften the farming ground falls on the tarred road, it is of no use on that surface insofar as agriculture or farming is concerned. If a seed meant to be scattered on a good soil falls on the pathway, on rocky ground or thorns, it will not germinate.

It is not just about receiving or hearing the Word of God. What is the nature of the heart or the mind which receives the Word of God? In the Parable of the Sower, we see that all those surfaces (the pathway, the rocky ground, the thorns and the good soil) received the seeds as they were being sown by the sower. But the pathway, the rocky ground and the thorns did not have all the capacities or factors needed for the germination, viability and productivity of what was sown. The problem is not about whether we receive or hear the Word of God or not. The problem is: do we have the capacities or the dispositions needed for the Word of God to bring about change of life, attitude and mindset in us? Just like the rainwater or the seeds, the Word of God can fall on or be received by any kind of heart. But whether it will be treasured and put into practice is another thing altogether. 

Today’s message asks us one question: how do we respond to God’s Word? In response to this question and from what I have said so far, there are three steps involved in responding to God’s word: RECEIVING, TREASURING AND PRACTISING THE WORD. Further analysis of these steps will help us understand that our human faculties: the mind, heart and soul come into play in our response to God’s Word. The first step, hearing/receiving the Word which involves listening to the Word of God when it is being proclaimed, is the work of the mind. The second step, treasuring the word of God which involves taking to heart the word which we hear, is the work of the heart. Remember that things are treasured in the heart. By treasuring the word in our hearts, we consider its implications for our lives and how it can make our lives better. The third step, practising the word of God, is the work of the soul or the will. It involves acting on what our mind has received and what our heart has treasured. And so, it is when the word of God penetrates into the soul that it can bring about changes in us. That’s why we are told in Hebrews (4:12) that “the Word of God is sharper than any double-edged sword. It can cut all the way through, to where soul and spirit meet”.

Just like the rainwater, when the word of God flows through our entire being, cutting all the way through the mind, the heart and the soul, whatever that is not of God in us decays and is flushed away by the mighty torrent of the Word of God flowing inside of us. The problem is: can we surrender ourselves, our minds, our hearts, our souls to go through the pains of the great transformation brought about by the Word of God? Sometimes, the cares, the lures of the world and the burdens of the flesh make it difficult for us to respond. As St Paul tells us in the second reading (Rom. 8:18-23), together with the entire creation we too are subjected to this decay which will eventually give way to fullness of life, to transformation and to glorious liberty of the children of God. But we must groan as the Word of God does its work in us. The process of decay cannot be easy for any sown seed. But that process will surely give way to a completely new life. The old self will rot away, and the new life will germinate. It is the Word of God that will do this. But our response to the whole of that process matters a lot.  



             

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Gifts versus the Giver (Monday, Week 20, Year II)

-
Image
A gift, by the virtue of what it is, is given. In other words, there must be a giver. Gift can come or be in the form of a good friendship or relationship, material thing, good job, personal talent, and so on. Every cherished gift is the delight of our eyes, the pride of our power and the desire of our souls. The gifts that we possess should then remind us of the giver. It smacks of arrogance and ingratitude when gifts are used without acknowledging or making reference to the giver. For the Jews, the Temple or Sanctuary was the delight of their eyes, the pride of their power and the desire of their souls. It was a precious gift which they jealously guarded. However, they adorned the Sanctuary but did not truly adore the One for whom the Sanctuary exists. They were too attached to the “gift” (sanctuary) but were completely detached from the Giver of the gift – from Yahweh. Ezekiel prophesied to them that this sanctuary which was their delight will be profaned and taken away from them. M
Read more

Persecution and Triumph, the Two Realities of Christian life (Saturday, Week 33, Year 2, The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

-
Image
The book of Revelation is full of symbols and imageries that need to be carefully interpreted for us to understand the message they communicate. In today’s first reading (cf. Rev. 11:4-12), John was told about two olive trees and two lamp stands serving as witnesses to the Holy One. Who or what do these two sets of witnesses (olive trees and lamp stand) stand for? When we read further in order to understand what happened to these two witnesses, it may be a bit clear to us that the “two witnesses” may be pointing to Moses and Elijah, judging from what they did on earth and what they stand for. Moses stands for the Law; and Elijah stands for the Prophet. Anyone who bears witness as Moses bore witness to the Law of God must be persecuted by the beast as the first reading (from the Book of Revelation) recounted. Anyone who bears witness to the messages of truth as Elijah and other prophets did must be persecuted just as the prophets were persecuted. Persecution is a fate that awaits every
Read more

Enkindle the Embers of Unity, Quench the Fire of Disunity (Wednesday, Week 22, Year A)

-
Image
For some time now, we have heard Paul talk about the spiritual and the unspiritual: what it means to live and operate on the level of the Spirit (the spiritual) and on the level of the flesh (the unspiritual). Paul was very emphatic about this topic possibly because he was addressing a group of people who were too intellectual and academic in their approach to the things of God and all of that. Remember that the Corinthians were Greek; and the ancient Greeks were known to be too particular and more interested in intellectualism, sophistry, philosophy and human wisdom. And we must not forget that Paul has been very suspicious of over-reliance on worldly/human wisdom in understanding and appreciating the things of the Spirit. To rely more on human/worldly wisdom is a sign that one may be operating on the level of the flesh; and to operate on the level of the flesh breeds a whole lot of vices such as division or sectionalism, hedonism, and so on. In today’s section of that letter to the C
Read more