HOMILY FOR FRIDAY OF THE SIXTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR II. 24.07.2020.
Readings: Jeremiah
3:14-17; Responsorial Psalm: Jeremiah 31 and Matthew 13:18-23. 
OBSTACLES TO THE
WORD OF GOD
While the first
reading calls the faithless children to return to God, Christ in the gospel
explains the parable of the sower, of which he points to us obstacles that prevent
us from growing in faith. What could be our obstacle?
In the first
reading, there is a beautiful invitation from God to Israel: “Return, o faithless children, says the Lord;
for I am your master.” Despite that, Israel has prostituted himself to many
lovers, yet God calls Israel to return to Him. Israelite has gone astray
because they lack proper understanding of God’s word, the word of God has no
deep root in them and the cares for the world has chocked the little word of
God in them. The way God speaks to Israel, He speaks to us. He pleads with us
to return to Him, reminding us that He is our God and master. This is not a
cold, dispassionate God; this is the Lord full of warmth and compassion,
pursing His wayward people. Here is grace at its highest pitch, it is the ocean
of grace at its flood tide, that God calls us back to himself and urges us to
remain with Him. This is what Christ explains in the Gospel, to make God’s word
have a deep root in us.
Christ in the
gospel explains the parable of the sower we heard two Sundays ago, of which
some seeds were sown along the path, some fell on a rocky ground, some on
thorns and others in good soil. He explains
it as various obstacles that can hinder us from hearing the word of the Lord in
a way that bears fruit in our lives. The
first obstacle mentioned is lack of understanding. The seed that fell along
the path represent those who never hear the word with understanding. The word
of God must be understood before it can truly bear fruits. It is the devil’s
chief work to keep men in darkness regarding their understanding of the gospel
(2Cor. 4:3-4).
The second obstacle mentioned is the lack of roots,
sowing of a rocky soil. Sometimes we do not allow
the word we hear to enter into us deeply enough. We have a superficial acquaintance
with the word, but we do not ponder it sufficiently for it to take real root in
us. What is not rooted in us can easily be abandoned when it begins to cost us
something. The third obstacle is worldly
care and the lure of riches. They are the seeds sown among thorns and it reminds
us that we cannot serve God and Mammon; if we try to serve mammon, the Lord’s
word gets choked. Hearing the Lord’s word in a way that bears fruit in our
lives will not happen automatically. There is a struggle involved; there are
obstacles to be overcome.
However, the
Lord is stronger than any obstacle we might face, and if we open our hearts to
his Spirit, to his grace, we will conquer the obstacles and we will grow in
faith. This way, our lives will be fruitful in the way that God desires for us.
With the words of the psalmist of today, we pray that we may hear the word of
the Lord and it is our prayer that God’s word remains a lamp to our feet and a
light to our path through Christ our Lord. Amen! Peace be with you!
Fr. Ken Dogbo, OSJ
May His words bear fruits in our hearts, Amen
ReplyDeleteO Lord help me not to be distracted by the cares of this world but to be firmly rooted in your word and bear fruits. Amen.
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