Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Scripture Readings

Reflection on Scripture

In the spiritual journey, God’s love has benefited us over time. Time to grow, learn from our mistakes, and take responsibility for our actions. Today’s Gospel gives us the parable of the seed and the sower. It is quite ordinary to listen or to read this passage from Scripture and immediately try to place ourselves in one of the four categories of which Jesus is speaking.

The seed is the grace of God that goes forth, without prejudice, and is poured out upon the people of earth. God’s grace is synonymous with God’s love and His grace is an invitation to allow God to love us more and in turn for us to grow in love and return the love to God and our brothers and sisters.

Since we are imperfect and carry the stigma of original sin, we are not always ready to accept the grace that God gives us. So, the grace of God like the seed may find us disinterested and the grace cannot take root, occupied with matters of life and we notice God’s love but we are too consumed to allow the grace to enter our hearts. The seed among thorns is the grace that is given and accepted and the person receiving it still welcomes the grace for a time but they are still addicted to the things of this world and their own sinfulness, and soon the grace is lost.

The three examples in the preceding paragraph are examples of everyone’s journey in and out of grace. But we are drawn to much higher calling.

Each day we encounter God in new and exciting ways and if we notice and respond, here I am Lord, each and everyday will be an epiphany in our life, a new beginning. But the new beginning can only begin because we are the soil in which His grace grows in us and produces abundant fruit or virtue.

A garden that is going to produce abundantly needs good soil, a lack of obstacles in the garden, plenty of water and sunshine, and the gentle hand of the gardener that prunes, when necessary, waters when needed, fertilizes, and keeps predators away.

Jesus is the gardener and we are the garden. God’s vision for us to produce an award winning garden but He can only do it if we prepare the soil properly and allow God to cultivate and nourish the garden of our heart.

So, how do we prepare the soil properly? Firstly, we recognize the things in our life that occupy our thoughts and desires. These can be worldly desires, wants and needs, and even sin currently in our lives or sins forgiven but not forgotten and they still have a foothold to disrupt and interfere with the grace given by God.

Secondly, put away childish toys, the things we think we need to survive. We came here with nothing and we will leave with nothing, and the toys and trinkets of life are running interference with our close encounters with God.

Thirdly, give God the prime cut of your day. Do not awake with the thoughts of everything you have to do today. Instead, wake and allow God the time to bless you and your day ahead of you. Invite God in at

the beginning of the day and dedicate this day to Him and allow the Holy Spirit to take even your most mundane works and sanctify them as them become virtue for you and others.

Fourthly, chose love today and every day. Allow God to instill in us the grace to be the instruments of peace, reconciliation, and unity. Dismiss negative thoughts and cling to the positive and go forth armed in grace with the determination to allow God into every facet of your life.

St. Augustine in his book “Confessions” writes that he had an aroma of God for a long time but he was not ready to partake of the meal. Be ready because time is short and the world is so lacking in love.

Today, chose God, chose holiness, chose life and live it to the fulness in union with God and each other.

Deacon Phil