Category: Uncategorized

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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.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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There are different ways of receiving the Word of God. The fruit it bears depends upon a person’s heart.

Some hear it without understanding. Others receive the Word with joy, but their faith lacks any root. Once a trial comes their way, belief is the first thing to go.

Still others receive the Word, but when left to choose, they prefer the things of this world to the things that are eternal.

Finally, there are those whose hearts are like rich, fertile soil. They hear the Word of God and are permanently changed by it.

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But consider the effort it takes to make soil fertile – and by extension, to make a human heart deeply receptive to the Word of God.

In order to make soil fertile, you must dig into it; break it; and repeatedly separate it. That period of chaos is what opens up the ground, allowing it to receive seeds, and ultimately, to give life.

Any sturdy plant was once a tiny seed placed inside broken, fertile soil.

So, what does that mean for us?

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Our hearts are most fertile after being broken. 

Think of any stressful, frustrating, or traumatic experience in life. In those moments, it feels like we’ve been tossed about – broken inside – much like rich, fertile soil.

They are blessed, Jesus says, who turn to him in that hour. It’s then that the Word of God has the greatest chance to take deep root, to change us, to strengthen us, and to bear good fruit.

As Saint Paul says, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” These gifts come from within; they are the fruit of a heart once broken, but receptive to the Lord.

May Jesus take any brokenness within us, bless it with his Word, and allow it to bear good fruit within – thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold. 

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Image credits: (1) AZ Quotes (2) Pinterest (3) C D Swanson

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Gospel: Matthew 12: 46-50

While Jesus was speaking to the crowds,
his mother and his brothers appeared outside,
wishing to speak with him.
Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside,
asking to speak with you.”
But he said in reply to the one who told him,
“Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”
And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said,
“Here are my mother and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father
is my brother, and sister, and mother.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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There’s an old Chinese proverb, “Not one family can put a sign outside of their home with the words, ‘No problems here.’”

Every family – even the Holy Family – experiences tension.

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We see such tension unfolding in today’s Gospel while Jesus is found preaching inside someone’s home. Suddenly, Mary and a few other family members show up asking to speak with him. 

They haven’t come to ask him if he’ll be home for dinner; they’ve come to silence him. Mark tells us, some of his family thought he was, “Out of his mind!” 

They knew the Lord’s teachings were revolutionary, so they feared Jesus might disturb the civil and religious authorities. In their minds, silencing him would be an act of mercy, keeping him from throwing his life away. 

Although his family cared for him, they didn’t always understand him.

The fact they are standing outside not only speaks to their physical separation, but also their distance in mind and heart. 

If they are to become members of his divine family – the Church – then they must enter the home, where they’ll be invited to, “hear the Word of God and observe it.”

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So, it is for us.

In baptism, each of us is welcomed into the “home” of the Church, where the Lord instructs us by his Word and Sacraments. Our mission is to remain inside this home, in good standing, in a state of grace.

What has been my experience of life in the Church? Do I feel at home? Welcome? Or, at times, do I disagree?

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“Not one family can put a sign outside of their home with the words, ‘No problems here.’” 

There is tension in every family – even this divine family, the Church. But nothing should separate us. As Saint Paul reminds us, “We are one body, the body of Christ on earth.” 

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Image credits: (1) iStock (2) Christ in the House of Martha and Mary, Johannes Vermeer (3) Nickel Designs Custom Doormats

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Gospel: John 20: 1-2, 11-18

On the first day of the week,
Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning,
while it was still dark,
and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
So she ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we don’t know where they put him.” 

Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping.
And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb
and saw two angels in white sitting there,
one at the head and one at the feet
where the Body of Jesus had been.
And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
She said to them, “They have taken my Lord,
and I don’t know where they laid him.”
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there,
but did not know it was Jesus.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?
Whom are you looking for?”
She thought it was the gardener and said to him,
“Sir, if you carried him away,
tell me where you laid him,
and I will take him.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to him in Hebrew,
“Rabbouni,” which means Teacher.
Jesus said to her,
“Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.
But go to my brothers and tell them,
‘I am going to my Father and your Father,
to my God and your God.'”
Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples,
“I have seen the Lord,”
and then reported what he told her.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Gustave Doré was a 19^th century artist who was known for, among other things, his paintings. One day, a student of Doré brought him a painting of Jesus that he just finished. Seeking Doré’s approval, the student stood before him, awaiting the verdict.

After a long period of silence, Doré looked at him and said, “You don’t love him, or you would paint him better.”

Love transforms the way we see another person.

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Today we celebrate the Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene, a woman who undoubtedly loved Jesus.

John paints a beautiful picture of her devotion in today’s Gospel. After three dreadful days of mourning and waiting, Mary rushes to the tomb while it’s still dark outside to anoint the Lord’s body. To her absolute surprise, he’s gone.

She’s so overwhelmed with emotion, that tears flood her eyes, preventing her from realizing that first she’s speaking with angels. 

Even after the Lord appears to her, Mary mistakes him for a gardener. Wondering if he took the Lord’s body, Mary asks for it back, as if she’s physically strong enough to carry him away or has a better plan for where to lay him.

While Mary’s devotion is eventually rewarded – the Lord reveals to her that he is, in fact, alive again! – it’s only a momentary consolation. “Stop holding onto me,” he says. “Go to my brothers,” tell them what you’ve seen.

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Herein we find the path of discipleship. There’s the initial search for Jesus; the encounter; then the great commission – “go forth.”

Tell others what you’ve seen.

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In what ways do we show our love for Jesus? Like Mary, how do we share the Good News, not only in word, but also in deed?

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“You don’t love him,” Doré said, “or you would paint him better.”

To the contrary, may all of our words and actions demonstrate our love for Christ today.

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Image credits: (1) Christ’s Appearance to Mary Magdalene, Alexander Ivanov (2) Ibid. (3) Quotefancy