MASS READINGS AND MEDITATION | JULY 12, 2020

Thus says the LORD:
Just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
and do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
so shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
my word shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.

R. (Lk 8:8) The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.
You have visited the land and watered it;
greatly have you enriched it.
God’s watercourses are filled;
you have prepared the grain.
R. The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.

Thus have you prepared the land: drenching its furrows,
breaking up its clods,
Softening it with showers,
blessing its yield.
R. The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.

You have crowned the year with your bounty,
and your paths overflow with a rich harvest;
The untilled meadows overflow with it,
and rejoicing clothes the hills.
R. The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.

The fields are garmented with flocks
and the valleys blanketed with grain.
They shout and sing for joy.
R. The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.

Brothers and sisters:
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing
compared with the glory to be revealed for us.
For creation awaits with eager expectation
the revelation of the children of God;
for creation was made subject to futility,
not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it,
in hope that creation itself
would be set free from slavery to corruption
and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God.
We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now;
and not only that, but we ourselves,
who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,
we also groan within ourselves
as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower.
All who come to him will have life forever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.
Such large crowds gathered around him
that he got into a boat and sat down,
and the whole crowd stood along the shore.
And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:
“A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and birds came and ate it up.
Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep,
and when the sun rose it was scorched,
and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.
But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit,
a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

The disciples approached him and said,
“Why do you speak to them in parables?”
He said to them in reply,
“Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven
has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.
To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich;
from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
This is why I speak to them in parables, because
they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.
Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:
You shall indeed hear but not understand,
you shall indeed look but never see.
Gross is the heart of this people,
they will hardly hear with their ears,
they have closed their eyes,
lest they see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts and be converted,
and I heal them.

“But blessed are your eyes, because they see,
and your ears, because they hear.
Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people
longed to see what you see but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

“Hear then the parable of the sower.
The seed sown on the path is the one
who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it,
and the evil one comes and steals away
what was sown in his heart.
The seed sown on rocky ground
is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.
But he has no root and lasts only for a time.
When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
he immediately falls away.
The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word,
but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word
and it bears no fruit.
But the seed sown on rich soil
is the one who hears the word and understands it,
who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”

Catechism of the Catholic Church

40 Since our knowledge of God is limited, our language about him is equally so. We can name God only by taking creatures as our starting point, and in accordance with our limited human ways of knowing and thinking.

“For greater things you were born.” (Ven. Mother Luisita)

 SUNDAY, JULY 12^7H   Mt. 13: 1-23 Parable of the sower and the seed…

• Some seed falls on the path… Someone who hears the Word of God but has no preparation, no knowledge, no understanding is not likely to persevere. Someone new to the faith needs to be guided in the faith! Introducing someone to the Good News of the Gospel carries with it the responsibility of discipleship! How often have we encouraged those who have done the Spiritual Exercises to invite others and then accompany them! Take the Spiritual Exercises with them to help them understand, persevere, and be confirmed in the Truth! Otherwise, the Word will be easily stolen by the enemy.
• Some seed falls on rocky ground where there is little soil… The Word is heard and received with joy, but the roots are shallow and die quickly because acceptance of the Word was based on feelings, rather than being rooted in the intellect or will. When the good feelings pass, the person moves on. Our feelings must be guided by reason informed by faith, that is, firmly rooted in the truth of Christ preserved and taught by Holy Mother Church, protected from error by the Holy Spirit. 
• Some seed falls among thorns…  The thorns choke the Word, preventing it from growing. This has happened to all of us. We carry thorns of hurts from the past or thorns of worries about the future. The Word of God is always competing with these two deadly enemies – the past and the future! Bitterness and resentment from past hurts are thorns that can choke the Word in our heart, and we never put the Word into practice! Worldly concerns for riches – that is to say, material security and comforts are thorns that also choke the Word in our heart; we become self-reliant instead of God-reliant!
• St. Faustina in Divine Mercy in My Soul addresses this early in #2 of the Diary:  “O My God 2 When I look into the future, I am frightened, but why plunge into the future? Only the present moment is precious to me, as the future may never enter my soul at all. It is no longer in my power, to change, correct or add to the past; for neither sages nor prophets could do that. And so, what the past has embraced I must entrust to God. O present moment, you belong to me, whole and entire, I desire to use you as best I can. Although I am weak and small, You grant me the grace of Your omnipotence. And so, trusting in Your mercy, I walk through life like a little child, offering You each day this heart burning with love for Your greater glory.” May Faustina’s prayer become our prayer!!!
• Some seed falls on rich soil…  The Word is heard… it is understood… it bears fruit and yields a rich harvest! What makes the soil rich? Some soil is rich by nature, but most of the time the soil is rich because it has been well tended, with consistent watering, weeding, and proper nutrients! We all want to be that rich soil so that the Word will take root deep within us and yield an abundant harvest of souls for the Master! How do we become rich soil… what is our preparation?
• Jesus accused the Pharisees of having hardened hearts! The soil of our heart must first be softened by our good will and our good intentions – love of God and love of souls. Spending our daily holy hour in deep prayer with the Lord increases our love for God and for what God loves – the salvation of souls! Jesus Christ – the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity – became man, and suffered and died on the cross to save each one of us! How is it possible that we don’t see His great love for us and respond to His desire to enter into a deep and abiding friendship with us as we converse with Him daily in our Holy Hour! Once, we understand that, how is it possible that we don’t see the value of each person in His eyes???
• The soil of our heart must be watered daily by means of voluntary sacrifices, meaning ones we choose, and by patient acceptance of the involuntary sufferings that God permits in our life each day, for our salvation and the salvation of others.
• The soil of our heart is weeded by frequent Confession. This Sacrament is a Powerhouse of Graces!!! We should be going to Confession every two to three weeks. Why? Because Confession is both curative and preventative! If we have no mortal sins, confess venial sins – the graces earned, forgive confessed sins and prevent future sins! Also, in an area where we are being strongly tempted, we can do a devotional confession – meaning tell the priest we are renewing sorrow for and confessing a past sin already forgiven, thereby earning the graces necessary to resist the temptations that are assaulting us! I truly believe this is the most under-valued and under-utilized Sacrament! Perhaps the greatest benefit of frequent confession is that the graces are cumulative – with frequent use of this Sacrament, overtime we find ourselves sinning less seriously and less frequently.
• The soil of our heart receives essential nutrients by fervent Holy Communions! If we cannot get to Mass, we can watch Mass on-line and make a fervent Spiritual Communion. If we’re not able to do either one of these, we can still make a Spiritual Communion and invite Jesus into our heart. It is actually a good idea to make a Spiritual Communion several times a day! You cannot invite Jesus too often to find rest in your Heart and be part of your day!
• We add extra and beneficial nutrients to the soil of our heart by studying the Faith and reading the lives of the Saints – the living icons of the Gospel!
• Finally, if we faithfully pray the Rosary each day, our Blessed Mother will enrich the soil of our heart with the grace of daily perseverance, and the grace of all graces, final perseverance!

Spiritual Communion

My Jesus, I believe You are truly present Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Most Holy Eucharist. Since I cannot receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. As if You were already come, I embrace You and unite myself entirely to You. Jesus, I love You. Jesus, I trust in You. Jesus, never let me to be separated from You. 

 We can also pray the prayer of the Angel of Fatima:  “My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love you. I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love you.”

 Pray for Priests – without them we would not have Jesus’ Mercy in Confession or Jesus’ Real Presence in the Most Holy Eucharist!