TEXT: The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew 13:1-23

[Perhaps, I should begin with a little note to the homilist.  I have provided in these more lengthy notes than normal some ideas for you ponder, rather than to try to structure a complete homily out of the 23 verses of the Kingdom of Heaven Parable (this earthy story) with a heavenly meaning.  I have long been interested in all of these parables as a whole (there appear to be seven in the chapter), and, I have always sensed that these form a whole discourse for the preacher to spiritually "assimilate" before preaching all or any one of them.  Also, their meanings blend together like a fine tapestry with differing aspects of the Kingdom... May God bless you as you convey what the Holy Spirit has to say through each of you, that is, the whole truth in Jesus and the Church.  I will be praying for all of you on this one, a very important message for all to hear for the greater glory of God and the salvation of many souls... Ron]

1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea.
2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat there; and the whole crowd stood on the beach.
3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow.
4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them.
5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they had not much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil,
6 but when the sun rose they were scorched; and since they had no root they withered away.
7 Other seeds fell upon thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.
8 Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
9 He who has ears,  let him hear."

Here we have the essence of the call of Jesus to the whole world.  Mankind (Humankind) is called (a vocation even for the laity) to hear the words of Jesus and follow him in complete obedience, the obedience of faith.

Why is it that some follow Christ for their whole lives?  Then, why are there are others who follow for a while and fall away?  This parable gives us the reason for all of these happenings.  It is food for our souls.  The work is God’s work, and, we must see it.  Grace is available, but, how will we respond and cooperate with the grace provided?  This is the question and the answer for us to ponder.

This is the Kingdom of Heaven and (its meaning for) Us.

10  Then the disciples came and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?"
11 And he answered them, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.

The secrets of the Lord are for those who have reverence for God.  He shows his covenant to these.

There are many who never seem to get past the physical realm to see the spiritual message of God to their hearts.

Thomas a Kempis said -- "Nature looks upon the outward things of man, but grace turns herself to the interior.  Nature is often deceived, but grace has her trust in God that she may not be deceived."  ("The Imitation of Christ," 3, 31)

Some only see the sower and the seeds of the earth.  Jesus calls us to see the heavenly meaning, to go beyond our selves and see with the eyes of the Spirit.

So, he gives the disciples (and us) the interpretation, the meaning, of the parable(s) that come in this chapter of the Gospel according to St. Matthew.

Jesus makes it clear that we are all accountable for what we hear.

12  For to him who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
14  With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says: 'You shall indeed hear but never understand, and you shall indeed see but never perceive.
15 For this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears are heavy of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should perceive with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn for me to heal them.'
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.
17 Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

How priceless is the fact, the Reality, of the Incarnation of Jesus.  I cannot fill up enough with the glories of the Incarnation of Jesus in Mary.  Ever do I sense how much Mary must have conveyed these truths to the disciples after Pentecost, and the Evangelists especially, how they must have taken into their holy hearts all that Mary conveyed of the works and words of Jesus.  Yes, truly, the disciples and multitudes heard these words, but, these are the words of the Incarnate Word of God, born to the Mother of God, the Mother of the Church.

We now have this message to proclaim.

We now have these words explained to us for our understanding.

Dare we ever pass by these words that have been thus explained by the Word of God?

I think not.
We do so to our own peril.  And, we should ever understand these words ion the context of all of these parable.  Take heed to the whole chapter, people of God, for they tell us all of why we are distracted, why we are what we are. . .

So, now, here is the explanation of Jesus.

18 "Hear then the parable of the sower.
19 When any one hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in his heart; this is what was sown along the path.

There are four categories of people that may be seen.

Many merely hear the words of the Gospel, the preaching of the kingdom of heaven and, like a sower who sows grain randomly, that person may not understand it much, and, simply walks away from the seeking out of further explanation.  Then, the enemy comes into the picture and simply snatches away the seeds sown in such a heart.

I have seen this (as you have as well) in many people who hear the preaching Sunday after Sunday, who listen (inattentively).  They abandon what is said, because it is "too deep" for them, perhaps, then, they do not ask questions of the priest, deacon or catechist, or, someone that has understanding.

Satan, the adversary of our souls, simply snatches the words away, and, they are forgotten.

Like birds who eat the seeds sown, the words of Jesus just disappear from their minds.

Beloved, we must have our hearts set, converted, to earnestly seek the words of the Lord Jesus, and thereby be transformed by them.

20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;
21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.

Then, there is the seeds which have no depth.

They take root, and, they die when the sun comes out and there is no water.  The rocky nature of the soil prevents good growth.

There is the needs, as the responsorial psalm has said, of good ground for the fruitful harvest.  "The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest."  That does not mean "may" yield a good harvest. But, "will" yield a good harvest.

We need "roots."  Our faith must be "radical."  We need roots, because we have a faith with roots.  Jesus is the Vine (John 15)... we are the branches.  Unless we abide in the Vine, where there are roots (apostles and prophets, teachers, pastors, et al), we will become scorched, wither and die!  We need Jesus, the Head and the Roots God has established in the Church.

We dare not leave the pillar and ground of the Truth, the Church, lest we have no roots in ourselves and become scorched by the burning sun and die without the water of Life flowing from the Throne of God.

Another category,

22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the delight in riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

How this is so within our various cultures.

In many countries that have wealth, this is a great problem.  Yet, this is so in all countries and peoples of the world.  There are many who allow the passing things of the world rob them of what they have heard... and they never become doers of the word.  The words of the Gospel of Jesus are choked to death and there is no fruit.  When there is no fruit, there is death.

Then, there is another category of hearer.

It is the one who hears and obeys the words of Jesus by grace through faith.  (Ephesians 2:8-11)

23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the word and understands it; he indeed bears fruit, and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."

With faith in Jesus and the Gospel there is much fruit.  100-60-30, but, always fruit!

Christians are never fruitless, because we have come to Jesus, the Fruit of the womb of Mary, who gave to us in obedience the Son of God.

Our first Eve partook of a forbidden fruit, but, our Lady, gave us the Fruit of her womb.

And, we, are the remnant of her seed... that we might produce much fruit with her in the wilderness.  (cf.. Revelation 12)

May we be faithful to Jesus always in the obedience of faith.



Deus et Sanctissima.

The mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven that follow that add more light to this passage are:

The wheat and the tares (darnel) -- Mt. 13:24-30 an 36-43 (explained)
The mustard tree -- Mt. 13:31-32
The leaven -- Mt. 13:33
The hid treasure -- Mt 13:44
The pearl -- Mt. 13:45-46
The drag net -- 13:47-48

These are followed in Matthew by the Death of St. John the Baptist (a type of tribulation, trial, for the faithful) and other important events that lead up to Sty. Peter’s Great Confession of Faith (Matthew 16:13-18)

ALL of these are linked to the Kingdom of Heaven theme that shows the action of the King, our Lord Jesus Christ in the here and now, as well as the eschatological view.

Just note the progression as the Holy Spirit leads each of you in your study.

God bless you in Jesus and this through the intercession of Maria...

"Ronald Barnabas Anthony, Hermit"