Gospel & Reflection
Gospel & Reflection for the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.
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!’
Reflection
Friends, as you are well aware of now, at the beginning of this month, on a sun filled, beautiful morning in Switzerland, the Society of Saint Pius X in open defiance of Church and Papal authority, illicitly ordained four bishops. It was a regretful act that instigated immediate excommunication for schism, not just for those involved in the ceremony, but also for the Priests and lay members who worship with the society.
The events of that day, and those leading up to it, highlighted a tragic reality. It showed how people, even those who claim to love traditional liturgy, who possess immense theological knowledge, and who claim to be defenders of the Catholic faith can find themselves, deservedly, removed from the unity of the Church and from Christ Himself. When the SSPX decided that their own judgment stood above that of the Church and the Pope, a subtle hardening of their heart had occurred. Without knowing it, their heart, faith, and sincerity, had been imprisoned and choked by an extreme pride and a persistent arrogance. They can talk all they want about not being the ones to “tear the seamless garment of Christ,” but their actions belies their motivations. They have become their own church, their own pope, deciding which laws to obey and which to discard.
But as the ceremony went ahead, and its controversy raged, nature, which is not in the habit of arguing points of Theology or Canon Law, responded nonetheless to what was happening. What began with a clear, beautiful alpine sky, turned dark, rainy, and thunderous at the moment of communion. The Eucharist, the Lord’s greatest gift, where we are ‘one’ with Him, that was the moment when creation signalled its condemnation, halting the ceremony for over half an hour!
We can only pray that the hearts of all involved will take the path offered generously and lovingly to them; the way back to God, His Church, and to him whom God has chosen as St. Peter’s successor, Pope Leo.
However, those sad events of last week are a timely reminder of the constant spiritual dangers that Jesus warns us all about in our Gospel for today.
In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus speaks about the expectations that God has for us, and the realities of life that can sometimes hinder us from living up to those expectations. Through the parable, Christ is trying to help us all have not just an intellectual understanding of our responsibilities with faith, but to have a humble, loving heart; a heart emptied of pride and arrogance, a heart willing to be obedient and open always to the truth of His word, wisdom, and actions.
God cannot take root in any life or heart, hardened by pride or stubborn insistence on its own way. God’s presence in such a heart and life, as the parable reminds us of and which the SSPX are living proof of, will always be smothered, silenced, and replaced. But maybe it is too easy to look at high profile examples of disobedience and bad fruit, and point the finger there.
Through the parable, Christ asks us all to examine our heart and life, to see if the soil of our lives is sufficiently good for Him to take root or is there anything concealing or superseding Him? For example, are we always open to God’s Word, His wisdom, and His expectations? Have we ever followed only those aspects of faith which are pleasing and important to us, disregarding everything else? Do we favour a Pope because we see him as conservative, dismissing another whom we thought was liberal, or vice versa; not seeing how all their teachings and guidance are one charism of truth – a single, continuous magisterium promoting growth and unity, not change and schism?
Friends, God is remarkably generous. His grace, love, and patience He throws everywhere hoping always to reach our receptive heart. He works away continuously in us, begging that His truth and love will bear fruit a hundredfold.
Let us pray today for such a heart. That the Word of God will always be allowed to take a deep root within us, so that we may bear the beautiful fruit of true unity, true fidelity, and true love in our Church, and in the world.
Fr. Richard
