Receive and Respond
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
For a shorter option of today’s Gospel reading, please visit: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings
Read this Gospel passage aloud to the family
Matthew 13: 1-23 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 disciples approached him and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” He said to them in reply, “Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted. To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand. Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:
You shall indeed hear but not understand,
you shall indeed look but never see.
Gross is the heart of this people,
they will hardly hear with their ears,
they have closed their eyes,
lest they see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts and be converted,
and I heal them.
“But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
“Hear then 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.”
(Parent) Reread this part a few times aloud
“Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
(Parent) Read this meditation aloud to the family
Two things are necessary for the successful communication of a message. There has to be a speaker or writer who delivers the message, and a listener or reader who receives the message. A message cannot be communicated if no one listens. Parents know all too well that simply telling their children to behave does not, in fact, make them behave. Their children must listen and respond for the message to bear fruit. The same is true with the Christian life. It is not enough that God loves us and speaks His Word to us; we must receive His Word and respond. God has a part, and we have a part. If we do not play our part, our life of faith will die.
Are we listening and responding to the Word of God? Jesus goes through a list of dangers in today’s Gospel that can keep us from being able to hear and respond to God: A) not understanding the Faith, B) not being willing to sacrifice or suffer, C) having unneeded stress or being materialistic. Do we struggle with any of the dangers Jesus mentions? If we do, we must pray, and work, and fight against them. God will do His part in seeking us and helping us, the question is: will we do our part?
As a family, pray a portion of the Rosary together (very short if children are young) reflecting on the Scripture passage above. (Optional: allow a brief time for discussion or questions from children concerning their thoughts and prayer.)
Reminder for Parents: Pier is just meant to be a jumping off point. The real goal is that you pray & eventually use the fruits of your personal prayer as the content of your family’s prayer. Duc in altum.
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