14

15^th Sunday in Ordinary Time —Year A

Fr. Jijo Kandamkulathy CMF

 甘天霖神父

Gospel: Matthew 13:1-23（玛13：1-23）

A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew,

Glory to you, O Lord!

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 heart 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."

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily: Four grounds in the same heart

In the parable of the Sower, I would like to draw your attention to the large quantities of seeds that are wasted in a barren land. The fruitfulness of those who hear the word of God and live according to it are the focal point of the parable. However, the insistence on the waste: failure and disappointment is an important element in this parable. It reflects the reality of the world in which evil appears much stronger, more efficient than good. Note also its progressive, relentless dominance: the seed does not sprout, that which sprouts does not grow, that which grows is suffocated.

To understand the parable deeper, it should be noted that in time of Jesus, sowing was done before and not after the field had been prepared. The farmer sowed before plowing, hoeing, eradicating the brambles and removing the stones. So we understand why the seeds are in unprepared grounds.

The farmer in the parable is apparently working in vain and wasting seed and energy. It is hard to believe that, in a field reduced to that state, something can sprout. Instead, after sowing, he plows: the paths disappear, thorns and grass are removed, the stones moved and the field that seemed unproductive, after a short time, is covered first by corn stalks, then by blonde ears. A true miracle! His word gives abundant fruits because it has in itself an irresistible force of life. 

All of us sometimes wondered if it's worth proclaiming the word of God in a corrupt world in which we live; if it still makes sense to speak of the evangelical beatitudes to people who do not listen, whose heart are hardened, who think only about money, entertainment, and to what is transitory, fleeting. When these thoughts arise it is time to profess the faith in the divine power contained in the word of the gospel.

The scarcity of results does not depend neither on the seed nor the sower, but on the type of soil. 

There is first of all a hardened heart, made as such—as it happens with the soil of a road—by many people who have walked on it. It represents the impenetrable heart to the word of Christ because it has assimilated the way of thinking of this world, adapted to current morality and adopted the values proposed by the people.

Then there is a variable heart that gets easily excited but after a few days, it goes back to what it was before. It is like a rock covered with a thin layer of earth: if one plants a seed, this sprouts, but immediately dries up.

There is also a restless heart that is stirred by the problems of this world. It chases success and wealth and nourishes mean dreams. These concerns are like thorns; they choke the seed of the word.

Finally there is a good heart in which the gospel produces abundant fruit.

It is not about the four categories of persons, but four interior dispositions that are found in different proportions, in every person. It is useless that the evangelist, to launch the precious seed of the word, waits to find the ideal terrain, that which is perfectly fertile. Good soil, thorns, rocks and arid soil will always be together. For the disciples, it will become a stimulus for a more abundant sowing. Many efforts will be in vain, but one day, punctually, the ear will make its appearance in every person.

证道：一个人，四种心，圣言的种子常更新！

在撒种的比喻中，我想让大家注意在贫瘠土地上浪费的大量种子。那些听从天主话语而多结果实 ，并依此而生活的人是这个比喻的焦点。然而，对浪费的坚持：在这个比喻中，失败和失望也是一个重要部分。它反省的是在这个世界中，邪恶比天主更强硬，更有能力，更有效率的现实。同时，也注意到其持续和残酷无情的统治：或者是种子不能发芽，或者是发芽的不能成长，或者是成长的又窒息而亡。

要更深的理解这个比喻，需要注意的是在耶稣的时代，播种是在田地准备好之前而不是之后。农夫是在犁地、锄地、除去荆棘和移除石头之前播种的。因此，我们明白了种子在没有预备好的土地上的原因。

在比喻中农夫的劳作显然是徒劳的，也浪费了种子和精力。在土地退化成如此的情况下，如果有什么能够发芽，是很难令人信服的。相反，在播种后，他才耕地：路消失了，荆棘和草被除掉了，石头也被移除了，田地看起来毫无收获；过了一阵子，首先被玉米秸秆覆盖，然后是金黄色的穗子。这是一个真实的奇迹！他的话语结出了大量果实，因为这些话语本身就具有不可抗拒的生命力。

有时候，我们所有人都会怀疑：是否值得在我们生活的这个腐败的世界中宣扬天主的话语；如果向那些不聆听、心硬、一心扑在金钱和娱乐等短暂又稍纵即逝的事物上的人，宣讲福音的真福是否仍旧有意义。当这些想法产生之时，就是要宣告信德的时机，它是福音话语所蕴含的神圣力量。

果实的多少，既不是基于种子，也与播种者无关，而是与土壤的类型有关。

 首先，是一颗坚硬的心，就像是道路上的泥土，是由很多人在上面行走而形成的。它表达的是基督的话语无法入住的心，因为它吸收了这个世界的思维方式，适应了当前的道德，并接纳了人们提出的价值标准。

其次，是一颗多变的心，虽然很容易兴奋激动，但是会在三五天之后，重回到之前的状态。它就像一块覆盖一层薄土的石头：如果播种了，就会发芽，却会直接干枯。

还有一颗不安的心，被这个世界的问题所搅扰。它追逐成功和财富，促使不良的幻想。这些担忧就像荆棘，会让天主话语的种子窒息。  

 最后，有一颗善心，福音会在其中结出大量的果实。

这里所说的并不是关于人的四种类型，而是在每个人身上会找到不同比例的四种倾向。福传者要等待找到最佳、完美又肥沃的地形，才播撒圣言的种子，是徒劳的。好田地、荆棘、石头和旱地总是会在一块儿。为门徒们来说，将成为一个促进更多大量播种的因素。尽管许多努力都会白费，但是，总有一天，穗子会在每个人身上准时出现。

文本来源：雅颂福传

译者：Fr.James