15TH SUNDAY, ORDINARY TIME

 


15TH SUNDAY, ORDINARY TIME 


Ask yourself: Why would creation have to groan? According to Paul, creation has been groaning all through the course of salvation history (Rom. 8:22). Perhaps it has to do with the fact that creation comes about through the initiative of a Creator. Creation owes something to its Creator; we can say that creation owes its very existence to its Creator. A communion is initially established between creation and the Author of creation. Unfortunately, that initial communion will become a fractured communion. This represents a disadvantage for the world of creation. Previously, everything was as it should be. Now, something is wrong. 


It’s clear to Paul that something is wrong. And it’s clear to us as well. We detect this as we study the wider panorama of creation. We also detect a lack of harmony when we look within ourselves. There’s something wrong OUT THERE. Likewise, there is something wrong IN HERE, at the level of your heart and your soul. 


God, for his part, wants to help. He’s sending us the gift of his Sacred Word. It descends like the rain, like the snow (Isaiah 55:10-11). Jesus compares it to the process through which seeds are planted (see Matt. 13:1-23). However, success for the seeds depends entirely upon the quality of the soil. God does his part by sending the Word. And yet, it’s not having any kind of meaningful impact. That’s because, all too often, it ends up encountering a deficient grade of soil. Can anything be done about it? Can deficient soil be transformed into fertile soil? 


Perhaps. In Matthew, various impediments are being outlined: rocks, thistles, weeds. Each weed produces a contrary network of roots—roots that will interfere with the overall agricultural objective. If these impediments can be cleared out, then the seeds will penetrate more extensively. Penetration makes it more likely that they will flourish and be productive. So if you clear out what needs to be cleared out, you will be able to expect positive results. 


Consider the example of a cluttered garage. It’s to the point where you are parking your car in the driveway. There are simply too many things taking up space in the garage. If only you could have a garage like Jay Leno’s garage! Along with being a talk-show host and a stand-up comedian, Jay Leno also happens to be a collector of classic cars. The most recent count records 181 cars and 160 motorcycles. How do you house such an inventory? It helps if you have connections with the Burbank airport. A deal is thereby arranged, allowing Leno to repurpose one of the facilities, converting it into a massive garage. 


The guess is that your garage is not quite so spacious. You’re left with only one option: commit yourself to the task of clearing out what needs to be cleared out. In this way, your car can be sheltered from the elements. You’ll achieve positive results by clearing out what needs to be cleared out. Those same positive results can be translated to the region of your soul. Identify what’s taking up space, and dedicate yourself to doing what needs to be done. This will clear the way so that the Word can both penetrate and flourish. Problems with the wider panorama will remain in place, at least for the time being. But you’ll find that there is a lot less wrong when you turn your attention to that critical, inward domain. 

Popular posts from this blog

Welcome

 These are text versions of the sermons I have prepared for the Sundays of the calendar year. I am a Catholic priest of the diocese of Gaylord (Michigan), ordained in 1997. 
Read more

Second Sunday of Easter [B]

Image
  SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER  You will find that some Bible passages have a way of explaining themselves. These verses come across as straight-forward. You don’t need any help forming your interpretation. But then you make your way into the First Letter of St. John. Chapter five outlines a series of witnesses; referred to as the Spirit, the Water, and the Blood (5:6-8). Jesus comes to us by way of the Spirit, by way of the Water, and by way of the Blood. Upon consulting the commentaries you discover that scholarly opinion remains divided, regarding this selection. A definitive interpretation has not yet been reached. Generally, however, speculation has leaned in the direction of the Jordan River, with Jesus stepping forward to be baptized.   If you pray the Rosary, this ranks as the first of the Luminous Mysteries. You know that this mystery centers around the symbol of water. You know also that the Holy Spirit becomes visible in the image of a dove (Matt. 3:16; Mark 1:10). Two of the wit
Read more

Passion Sunday [B]

Image
  PASSION SUNDAY Because we are in the “B” cycle, this year’s Passion reading will come from the Gospel of St. Mark. Last year, with cycle “A,” we heard St. Matthew’s account. Next year, observing cycle “C,” we will hear from St. Luke. If you are wondering about St. John, we spend time in his Gospel every year, especially during the seasons of Lent and Easter. As for Mark, his Gospel bears a resemblance to both Matthew and Luke. These are called the “Synoptic Gospels,” because they appear to be synchronized around a common body of source material. We find plenty in the way of similarities, but we also find peculiarities---elements that are unique to each of the Synoptics. For example, with regard to Mark’s version of the Passion, attention is called to a particular young man who panics as the authorities come to arrest Jesus. He, likewise, very nearly gets apprehended, but they manage only to grip the hem of his tunic. The unnamed disciple slips out of his garment and runs off into the
Read more