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1 Corinthians 15:35-37, 42-49
Brothers and sisters:
Someone may say, "How are the dead raised?
With what kind of body will they come back?"
You fool!
What you sow is not brought to life unless it dies.
And what you sow is not the body that is to be
but a bare kernel of wheat, perhaps, or of some other kind.
So also is the resurrection of the dead.
It is sown corruptible; it is raised incorruptible.
It is sown dishonorable; it is raised glorious.
It is sown weak; it is raised powerful.
It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.
If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual one.
So, too, it is written,
"The first man, Adam, became a living being,"
the last Adam a life-giving spirit.
But the spiritual was not first;
rather the natural and then the spiritual.
The first man was from the earth, earthly;
the second man, from heaven.
As was the earthly one, so also are the earthly,
and as is the heavenly one, so also are the heavenly.
Just as we have borne the image of the earthly one,
we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one.
Ps 56:10c-12, 13-14
R./ I will walk in the presence of God, in the light of the living.
Now I know that God is with me.
In God, in whose promise I glory,
in God I trust without fear;
what can flesh do against me?
R./ I will walk in the presence of God, in the light of the living.
I am bound, O God, by vows to you;
your thank offerings I will fulfill.
For you have rescued me from death,
my feet, too, from stumbling;
that I may walk before God in the light of the living.
R./ I will walk in the presence of God, in the light of the living.
Lk 8:4-15
As a great crowd gathered and people came to him from every town, Jesus began teaching them through stories, or parables, "The sower went out to sow the seed. And as he sowed, some of the grain fell along the way, was trodden on and the birds of the sky ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, and no sooner had it come up than it withered, because it had no water. Some fell among thorns; the thorns grew up with the seed and choked it. But some fell on good soil and grew, producing fruit-a hundred times as much." And Jesus cried out, "Listen then, if you have ears to hear!"
The disciples asked him, "What does this story mean?" And Jesus answered, "You have been granted to know the mystery of the kingdom of God. But to others it is given in the form of stories, or parables, so that seeing they may not perceive and hearing they may not understand."
Now, this is the point of the parable:
The seed is the word of God. Those along the wayside are people who hear it, but immediately the devil comes and takes the word from their minds, for he doesn't want them to believe and be saved. Those on the rocky ground are people who receive the word with joy, but they have no root; they believe for a while and give way in time of trial. Among the thorns are people who hear the word but as they go their way, are choked by worries, riches, and the pleasures of life; they bring no fruit to maturity. The good soil, instead, are people who receive the word and keep it in a gentle and generous mind, and persevering patiently, they bear fruit.
Lord our God,
we thank you for speaking to us
the word of your Son Jesus Christ
and sowing in our hearts and minds
the seeds of faith.
Open our ears to his word, day after day,
that it may grow in us
in pain and effort and joy,
that it be rooted ever more deeply
and bear fruits of justice and love,
until the final coming of Jesus Christ,
your Son and our Lord for ever.
First Reading Introduction
How will the dead rise? A person dies but dies like a seed and from that seed a new plant is born and rises in glory.
Gospel Introduction
We hear today Luke's version of the parable of the seed. In Jesus' original intent it pictured the difficult growth of the kingdom towards its final accomplishment, of which also Paul speaks in the first reading. Luke applies it in the explanation of the parable to the reception of the word of God and the life of faith in people's hearts. God sows the seed, but people receive it differently and react to it in various ways, for it is hard to let it grow and remain loyal to it in the humble and sometimes difficult realities of daily life. How does God's word grow and bear fruit in us?
- Lord, give wisdom and courage to all teachers in the Church, that they may help us understand your word and proclaim it as Good News, we pray:
- Lord, inspire by your word all the mighty of this earth, that they may join forces to bring to all lasting peace, food and human dignity, we pray:
- Lord, make us receptive to your word. Free us from banality and fear for our security and certainties. Give us new insight in your message, that we may live as we believe, we pray:
Lord our God,
accept in this bread and this wine
our eagerness to receive your Son
and to listen to his word
with noble and generous hearts.
Give him to us as our companion on the road,
that he may keep speaking to us
in people and in the events of life
and that we may understand him
and bear a rich harvest
that lasts for ever and ever.
Lord our God,
let our words and deeds
echo the message of your Son
and fill us with his life.
Make our human words reliable
and serve unity and the truth.
Pour out your compassion in them,
your love and your joy,
that they may bring strength,
insight and friendship,
by the power of Jesus Christ,
your living word and our Lord for ever.
Let the seed of God's word fall in the good soil of our eager and receptive hearts, and may almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
