Clearing to be Fruitful

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

12 July 2026

 

First Reading: Isaiah 55:10-11

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 65:10, 11, 12-13, 14

Second Reading: Romans 8:18-23

Gospel: Matthew 13:1-23

 

Reflection

By: Pietro S. Albano

 

In the Second Reading, Saint Paul tells us that all creation awaits with eager expectation...(to) be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God (Rom 8:19-21). We are all part of that creation. In the past, we may have heard God's Word, but it did not grow in us due to our lack of understanding. Perhaps we may have initially received it ningas kugon, but trials overtook us. Or we may have been distracted by the cares of ambition, money, power, or pleasure that there is no room for the Word to thrive in us. Yet, there is hope that we would be fruitful as long as we keep on listening to the Lord.

When we moved to our current home 12 years ago, we planned to put some plants on the front and back gardens. Before we could do so, we cleared the space otherwise the seeds we sow or the plants we put won't grow. We kept ourselves vigilant too with those nasty weeds that keep on coming. This clearing holds true for God's Word too. If we want it to take root in our hearts, we must allow God to make our hearts fertile and fruitful (Is 55:10). We must also weed out any distractions such as sin, vice, idleness, gossip, etc. that would hinder us from bearing fruit and yielding a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold (cf. Mt 134:18).

Prayer

Loving Father, You generously sowed Your Word into our hearts but because of our failure to listen, this has not grown into fruition. Clear our hearts of any weeds that would prevent us from becoming fruitful. Help us to be vigilant to protect the holiness in us. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Focus

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time 17 November 2019
First reading Malachi 3:19-20

See, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings.

Second reading                                                          2 Thessalonians 3:7-12

Sisters and brothers, you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you and we did not eat anyone’s bread without paying for it; but with toil and labour we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you. This was not because we do not have that right, but in order to give you an example to imitate.

For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: Anyone unwilling to work should not eat. For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work. Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.

Gospel                                                                          Luke 21:5-19

When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, Jesus said, “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.” They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?”

Then he said, “Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is near!’ Do not go after them. “When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.”

Then he aid to them, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.

“But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will give you an opportunity to testify. So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls.”

Reflection

By Anabelle P. Balla

Lord, help us to be more like You!

I like being surrounded by plants and trees. I don’t mind the variety - ornamental, fruit-bearing, vegetables, herbs, orchids, succulents, etc. I am so amazed with their beauty that I tend to collect and plant them all! I spend time, effort, and resources to look after them. And because I focus on them, they grow, they grow fast, and bear fruits or flowers and multiply!

Growth or improvement happens when a person focuses on something.  Imagine focusing on getting yourself better – learning new skills, gaining new knowledge, getting more fit, becoming a better and happy person. It is highly possible. It can happen. And the good news is that, it is within our control! We can choose what to do with our time, our effort and our resources. We can.

We just need to focus. Little by little, every day. Little by little, allow Jesus to help change us for the better. Be a little kinder, gentler, helpful, compassionate and more loving so that one day, we become more like Jesus. And in His grace, we will be saved.

Prayer

Father, help us to persevere to be the best version of ourselves, for You, in Your honor and glory , and for our salvation. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Grounded

Saint Joseph
Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary 

19 March 2018

First reading                                                                        2 Samuel 7:4-5,12-14,16
The word of the Lord came to Nathan:

  ‘Go and tell my servant David, “Thus the Lord speaks: “When your days are ended and you are laid to rest with your ancestors, I will preserve the offspring of your body after you and make his sovereignty secure. (It is he who shall build a house for my name, and I will make his royal throne secure for ever.) I will be a father to him and he a son to me; if he does evil, I will punish him with the rod such as men use, with strokes such as mankind gives. Yet I will not withdraw my favour from him, as I withdrew it from your predecessor. Your House and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me and your throne be established for ever.”’

Second reading                                                         Romans 4:13,16-18,22

The promise of inheriting the world was not made to Abraham and his descendants on account of any law but on account of the righteousness which consists in faith. That is why what fulfils the promise depends on faith, so that it may be a free gift and be available to all of Abraham’s descendants, not only those who belong to the Law but also those who belong to the faith of Abraham who is the father of all of us. As scripture says: I have made you the ancestor of many nations – Abraham is our father in the eyes of God, in whom he put his faith, and who brings the dead to life and calls into being what does not exist.

  Though it seemed Abraham’s hope could not be fulfilled, he hoped and he believed, and through doing so he did become the father of many nations exactly as he had been promised: Your descendants will be as many as the stars. This is the faith that was ‘considered as justifying him.’

Gospel                                                                     Luke 2:41-51a

Every year the parents of Jesus used to go to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up for the feast as usual. When they were on their way home after the feast, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem without his parents knowing it. They assumed he was with the caravan, and it was only after a day’s journey that they went to look for him among their relations and acquaintances. When they failed to find him they went back to Jerusalem looking for him everywhere.
  Three days later, they found him in the Temple, sitting among the doctors, listening to them, and asking them questions; and all those who heard him were astounded at his intelligence and his replies. They were overcome when they saw him, and his mother said to him, ‘My child, why have, you done this to us? See how worried your father and I have been, looking for you.’
  ‘Why were you looking for me?’ he replied. ‘Did you not know that I must be busy with my Father’s affairs?’ But they did not understand what he meant.
  He then went down with them and came to Nazareth and lived under their authority.

Reflection

By Pietro S. Albano

Opposition does not only happen outside the home. I note how the young Thomas Aquinas' decision to become a Dominican was met with strong opposition by his family. They were pining for him to be a Benedictine because his uncle Sinibald was abbot of the local Benedictine abbey at that time. While drinking from a spring on his way to Rome, his brothers captured and imprisoned him for a year in their parents' castle. Such 'house arrest', the family hoped, would dissuade Thomas from joining the mendicant order. So much was their desperation that two brothers even hired a prostitute. Story has it that Thomas drove the woman away holding a fiery iron. Eventually, they yielded to Thomas' plan.

In today's Gospel, Joseph and Mary were making sense of the young Jesus' decision to stay behind to be up and about in His Father's affairs. Although they know their son and His future mission, His action at a tender age came as a shock. I guess this has been a common experience among parents. My mother was totally supportive of my active involvement in church during my teenage years. However, she started to notice how frequently I have been coming home very late at night (or very early in the morning). One time she had had enough. She warned me that if I do it again, she will tell me to my father.  While I got a verbal warning, some of my confreres were either subjected to curfew or grounded by their parents. We all learned our lesson and became conscious of their concern, of striking a balance between study, apostolate, and home. Eventually, our parents understood our involvement in church.

Like St Joseph let us strive to remain grounded in God's grace so that we may become more supportive and understanding of our youth who, like the young Jesus, are slowly discovering the purpose of their life. Let us also entrust the youth to St Joseph's care that they too may imitate Jesus whose obedience made Him truly grounded, i.e. sensible, realistic, unpretentious.


Prayer
Heavenly Father, You call each of us to a particular vocation. Through the intercession of St Joseph, open our hearts to respond to You and to be an inspiration to others, especially our young people. In Jesus' Name. Amen.