Friday - July 28, 2017
'My heart can neither love nor be attached to aught but to Him alone. All else is nothing and serves but to hinder the purity of love, and to raise a barrier between the soul and her Beloved.'
--St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
TODAY'S READINGS
July 28, 2017
Friday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 399
Reading 1EX 20:1-17
In those days:God delivered all these commandments:
"I, the LORD, am your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery.
You shall not have other gods besides me.
You shall not carve idols for yourselves
in the shape of anything in the sky above
or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth;
you shall not bow down before them or worship them.
For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God,
inflicting punishment for their fathers' wickedness
on the children of those who hate me,
down to the third and fourth generation;
but bestowing mercy down to the thousandth generation
on the children of those who love me and keep my commandments.
"You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain.
For the LORD will not leave unpunished
him who takes his name in vain.
"Remember to keep holy the sabbath day.
Six days you may labor and do all your work,
but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD, your God.
No work may be done then either by you, or your son or daughter,
or your male or female slave, or your beast,
or by the alien who lives with you.
In six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth,
the sea and all that is in them;
but on the seventh day he rested.
That is why the LORD has blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.
"Honor your father and your mother,
that you may have a long life in the land
which the LORD, your God, is giving you.
"You shall not kill.
"You shall not commit adultery.
"You shall not steal.
"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
"You shall not covet your neighbor's house.
You shall not covet your neighbor's wife,
nor his male or female slave, nor his ox or ass,
nor anything else that belongs to him."
Responsorial PsalmPS 19:8, 9, 10, 11
R. (John 6:68c) Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
Sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
AlleluiaSEE LK 8:15
R. Alleluia, alleluia.Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart
and yield a harvest through perseverance.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 13:18-23
Jesus said to his disciples:"Hear 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."
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Sowing the Right Seeds
We usually look at today's Gospel reading and feel challenged to wonder: "Which type of soil am I?" Or we assess someone else and think: "No wonder the truth is not sinking in; his soil is hard-packed." This time, however let's put our feet into the sandals of the sower and ask: "What kind of seeds am I sowing? And am I sowing them in the right places?"
A good farmer knows his environment. He researches and studies the soil, the climate, and even the past use of the land. He learns what will grow best in the location where he farms. He pays attention to his own wisdom, i.e., which types of crops he understands the most. And he doesn't try to grow other crops.
What seeds of God's kingdom do you already have that you can offer in the environment where you live and work and recreate?
Don't try to produce the fruits that others are good at growing, even though you enjoy their flavor. Don't envy others for what they can grow. Instead, study your own farm: What experiences have you gained that can serve the needs of others? Sow those seeds. What lessons have you learned the hard way that could benefit people who are now in similar situations? Sow those seeds. What talents are natural for you? Sow those seeds. What wisdom have you gained in your spiritual growth? Those are wonderful seeds!
A good farmer knows not to waste seeds by tossing them onto the road or rocks or among briers and weeds. Don't sow the seeds of your life's experiences into those who aren't ready to learn from their own hardships; that would be sowing your seeds onto the road.
Don't sow your talents into rocky places where your gifts will have no lasting value. Instead, consider how they can be used to help your Church community; that's where to find fertile soil.
And when someone asks for your insights and wisdom because they recognize that you have faith, look for evidence that they really want to use your advice. If they're not sincere, don't keep trying to help them; that would be sowing the seeds among briers. Reserve your seeds for those who show a sincere and humble desire to improve.
Remember, seeds are tiny. They might look too small to be worthwhile. Don't be fooled by their appearance. You know the potential that's within every seed, especially when God provides the nourishing rain. You have many valuable seeds to spread around! Sown in the right places, God will grow an amazing crop from them. Eventually, you will see many delightful fruits come from your tiny offerings -- although in many cases, you'll have to wait until heaven to find out how huge of a difference you've made. Never be discouraged by a lack of seeing evidence now. Keep on sowing!
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God Bless You.....
The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”
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