I Vangeli per le Famiglie - XV Domenica - Anno A - "Terreno, Seme, Cuore, Parola" -12/07/26

www.chiesadomestica.org From the Gospel according to Matthew Mt 13:1-23 That day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. He spoke to them many things in parables. And he said: "Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up immediately, because it had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. Other seed fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear." Then the disciples came and said, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" He answered them, "Because to you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven... Listen, then, to the parable of the sower. Whenever anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. What was sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself and endures for a while, so that when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, he immediately falls away. What was sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but the cares of this world and the lure of riches choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. What was sown on good soil is the one who hears the word and understands it; he bears fruit and produces a hundredfold, sixty, or thirtyfold." The word of the Lord. _________________ Dearly beloved, Jesus calls the parable of the sower the most important because if we don't understand it, we won't understand all the other parables (Mark 4:13). This parable speaks to us about the conditions for welcoming the Word of God into our hearts so that it can bear fruit in our lives. Jesus himself explains this in the Gospel passage we just read: so I will simply mention that the farmer's true work is not sowing but preparing the soil. There is no such thing as "good" or "bad" soil; there is "worked" or "unworked" soil, as anyone with just a small garden or even just a few plants on their balcony knows full well. The Word of God bears fruit only if it is sown in hearts prepared to receive it. So if it is true that the only sower is Christ, King and Center of all hearts, it is also true that we, as his collaborators, are the ones who must prepare the soil. First, prepare the hearts of those to whom we bear witness to the word of God so that it is not sown in vain like the seed that falls on the path. The beaten earth is, in fact, a very effective metaphor for a hardened heart, often because a lifetime has only encountered exploiters or enemies from whom one must defend oneself, or, much more often, people incapable of even the slightest understanding, closeness, or empathy. Hardening oneself to defend oneself and attack has seemed the only way to survive. Hearts so battered that the words of the Gospel seem like alien words, children's tales, and old wives' tales are not few: we all encounter them. Only the closeness of a friendly heart that knows how to draw close to these wounded hearts, hardened by too many scars, can work the miracle of opening them to hope and thus to the possibility of "understanding" the good news of a different way of living and relating to others. Then there are the hearts of all those who have soil in which the word of the Gospel can take root, but there are "stones" and "thorns" that prevent it from truly taking root and growing to bear abundant fruit in good works. And among these are certainly our own hearts, on which we must work. Let us ask ourselves where in us are the "stones" of inconstancy, superficiality, perpetual inner confusion, lack of moments of prayer, silence, and listening, which prevent us from deeply understanding the Word of God in our hearts so that it may truly bear fruit. And then, above all, let us ask ourselves where are the "thorns" that suffocate it, and which are certainly not the "holy concerns" for daily bread that follow from it and for which, indeed, Christ invites us to pray. But it is the "bad worries" of greed, revenge, envy, the desire to dominate, to stand out, to overwhelm... that invade our unkempt hearts, or large portions of them, worse than weeds and brambles. I repeat, we are in a holiday season when we have more time to think about ourselves, both as individuals and as couples. Let us help each other purify our hearts so that during these holidays we can savor the joy of being together with one another and with the Lord. Hugs Gf