by Father James Rodriguez
In the beginning, John tells us, was the Word. This self-expression of the Father, co-eternal with Him and the Holy Spirit, is perhaps the deepest mystery of our faith.
We cannot imagine eternity, since everything we experience is conditioned by our senses and time, yet God has seen fit to reveal this to us, like food to enjoy as we chew it.
Perhaps a more apt metaphor is human love, where we can grow in our love for one another as we know one another. Since we’re constantly changing, there is no limit to how well we can know each other (or ourselves).
Nor, then, need there be a limit to our love.
Isaiah captivatingly shares this exact revelation with us: that God has spoken to his people and has done so with a purpose in mind. As Christians, we take John at his word: The Word was made flesh and has made His dwelling among us.
This Word of God is utterly creative, first forming creation and then restoring it in Christ.
The redemption, though effective forever in the sacrifice on Calvary, is a gift that must be opened to be enjoyed. It does us good to think about
this treasure — the salvation of our souls — so to live out this mysterious gift. The Word of the Father, that is Christ, is spoken to us at every Mass, yet in his deep respect for our freedom we can either accept or reject it, but we cannot remain neutral.
The parable of the sower has so much to say to us that would not fit in this limited space, but in essence it is a reminder to us that holiness is not a matter of chance as the landing of seeds sometimes is.
While our hearts can sometimes be thorny or rocky ground, we can rehabilitate the soil of our souls, giving the Word fertile ground to take root and bear fruit.
Jesus called the apostles to go out to all the world, not just where they thought they might succeed, and because they trusted Him, we have been given access to the same Voice that sent them: Blessed are your ears, because they hear…
This is the Voice that spoke to Saul on the road to Damascus. The persecutor of the first Christians became one of their finest, all because of the fundamental choice to accept the grace offered him.
He who caused so much suffering became its recipient, and praises God for it in our continuous reading of his letter to the Romans. He returns to last week’s theme of freedom, and counts the sufferings of this present time… as nothing.
He speaks of the adoption we await, a completion of what was begun in our baptism when God spoke over us: This is my beloved Son.
In Christ we have heard God’s Word, but we don’t always understand. In those moments, engage Him as the apostles did; ask Him what He means.
Go to Him in prayer and listen, allowing Him to till the soil within you, making it rich as only He can. Seek out opportunities for silence, His favorite language, and there pray for the openness we all need to be better acquainted with His voice so as to be healed by His Word.
Readings for the Fifteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
Isaiah 55:10-11
Romans 8:18-23
Matthew 13:1-23 or
Matthew 13:1-9
Father James Rodriguez is the pastor of St. Rose of Lima Church in Rockaway Beach.