I Am All Those Places

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time July 13

First reading Isaiah 55:10-11

Thus says the Lord: ‘As the rain and the snow come down from the heavens and do not return without watering the earth, making it yield and giving growth to provide seed for the sower and bread for the eating, so the word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty, without carrying out my will and succeeding in what it was sent to do.’

Psalm                                                                          Psalm 64:10-14

Second reading                                                      Romans 8:18-23


I think that what we suffer in this life can never be compared to the glory, as yet unrevealed,
which is waiting for us. The whole creation is eagerly waiting for God to reveal his sons. It was
not for any fault on the part of creation that it was made unable to attain its purpose, it was
made so by God; but creation still retains the hope of being freed, like us, from its slavery to 
decadence, to enjoy the same freedom and glory as the children of God. From the beginning till
now the entire creation, as we know, has been groaning in one great act of giving birth; and not
only creation, but all of us who possess the first-fruits of the Spirit, we too groan inwardly as we 
wait for our bodies to be set free.

Gospel                                                                     Matthew 13:1-23

Jesus left the house and sat by the lakeside, but such large crowds gathered round him that he got into a boat and sat there. The people all stood on the beach, and he told them many things in parables.

  He said, ‘Imagine a sower going out to sow. As he sowed, some seeds fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on patches of rock where they found little soil and sprang up straight away, because there was no depth of earth; but as soon as the sun came up they were scorched and, not having any roots, they withered away. Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Others fell on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Listen, anyone who has ears!’

  Then the disciples went up to him and asked, ‘Why do you talk to them in parables?’ ‘Because’ he replied, ‘the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven are revealed to you, but they are not revealed to them. For anyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. The reason I talk to them in parables is that they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding. So in their case this prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled:

You will listen and listen again, but not understand,

see and see again, but not perceive.

For the heart of this nation has grown coarse,

their ears are dull of hearing, and they have shut their eyes,

for fear they should see with their eyes,

hear with their ears,

understand with their heart,

and be converted

and be healed by me.

‘But happy are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear! I tell you solemnly, many prophets and holy men longed to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.

  ‘You, therefore, are to hear the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom without understanding, the evil one comes and carries off what was sown in his heart: this is the man who received the seed on the edge of the path. The one who received it on patches of rock is the man who hears the word and welcomes it at once with joy. But he has no root in him, he does not last; let some trial come, or some persecution on account of the word, and he falls away at once. The one who received the seed in thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this world and the lure of riches choke the word and so he produces nothing. And the one who received the seed in rich soil is the man who hears the word and understands it; he is the one who yields a harvest and produces now a hundredfold, now sixty, now thirty.’

Reflection by Fidji Rivera-Sarmiento

There’ll be days that I’m a cold concrete road, superficially receiving God’s Word. I call it“tinanggap, ngunit hindi niyakap.” Introspectively, I guess that pretty much comes from spiritual egotism; the “alam-ko-na-‘yan” attitude. Or, blame it on boredom especially when I can already predict where the homily is heading to. Or when someone invites me to a charismatic fellowship, and I’d ask, “What’s the topic?” Then, I’d quip, “Ah, alam ko na ‘yan, ganito mangyayari d’yan,” while bursting that person’s bubble, sounding condescending, and actually being accurate.

Or how about those times that I’m that rocky path, “high na high kay Lord,” joyfully receiving God’s Message, praising Him even in the midst of trials. But here comes the super trial and I crumble like a delicate pulvoron, falling down in wee bits, as in “durog na durog.”

Then comes the lure of worldly wealth AND anxiety, and I transform into a thorny ground. Yes, I accept Jesus in every way, giving Him all the corners of my life. “Pero may kondisyon.” 

                               “Jesus, help me earn I want to upgrade my phone.” 

                           “God, I’ll be selfish to that beggar today. Nagbanat ako ng buto, dapat s’ya rin.”

                               “Diyos ko, paano na? Oo, nakaraos ako ngayon, eh bukas?”

                               “Sorry God. Can’t attend Mass today. I.Need.My.Full.Day.Rest.”

                               “Pakialam ko. Basta wala akong ginagawang masama.”

That’s me, serving two gods. Or in more concrete terms, “Namamangka sa dalawang ilog.”

But despite being hard-hearted, spiritually weak, and balimbing to God and the devil, I can be that rich soil, humus and all, earthy, tended with TLC by bulate, fertilized and moist. I try my very best to digest God’s Word and face any challenge head on with full battle gear, with His promises in my heart. I bask in Jesus’ grace, mercy, and compassion. I acknowledge my limitations and strive every single day to be the daughter God ought me to be. In the end, I come victorious in God in spite of all my mistakes and shortcomings.

I know I myself am God’s work in progress. So in the meantime, the road sign says, SLOW DOWN. CONSTRUCTION GOING ON.

Prayer

Dear Father Gardener, Thank You for planting in me a love for Your Kingdom. Thank You for being patient with me. Thank You for watering the seed in my heart with Your Compassion. Thank You for Your Promises; they energize and encourage me all the time. I humbly ask for forgiveness for the times I ignore You; each time I hesitate to accept You; and when I think highly of the gifts You have endowed me Lord. Continue to work on me God. I accept all the trials that make me become who You want me to be.  Amen.