Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Fr. Leo
The two verses from chapter fifty-five of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah unveils the reality that God has come to earth, in the Word, to redeem all things through his infinite and unending love. In the Gospel from Matthew the Word is the seed that has been planted in our hearts. The seed that lands on good soil is the heart that is open to fully surrendering to the will of God. Such an open heart becomes and endless and infinite source of Love to the world.
Psalm Sixty-five speaks of how God is the one who waters the seed and tends the soil so that the seed, the present of God, can grow. However, for this to happen the seed must die; it must stop being a seed and become a plant. This symbolizes our consent to God’s transforming love. When our false-self dies, our real God-self can begin to grow.
The spiritual life, which is all of life, is the ongoing realization of God’s love uniting us fully to himself. We connect to this in prayer and live it in virtuous living. Without a deep foundation in prayer we can not live in God’s fullness and live the virtuous life that transforms not only ourselves, but all things.
How might this apply to our world at this time when we are experience so much division? First, if peace is to come out of turmoil, it will be the work of God. Our role is to let God’s will be done in all things. This means that we must all approach each other with humbly, mercy and love. Short of that there will be no healing. And this is necessary for all involved.
On my walk the other day I came upon a sign that read, “……. School demands justice.” That is certainly frustration being articulated, but if we are going to find justice it will only come with mercy and love. To ‘demand,’ is to put oneself in control. That makes the other a lessor and no true peace can be achieved with the insistence of inequality.
Like Christ, those offended most will need to love and forgive the most. That doesn’t mean sitting and being abused, but calls all to a higher level of relationship in God where there is only one and not the many. Only in receiving and sharing Christ’s love, can there be peace on earth. We must all do our part! Being defensive is not an option for us Christians. We are all in need of mercy! When we all embrace that reality, we can begin to give the endless mercy we have receive in Christ who is our Lord and God. This is how we bear fruit thirty, sixty and a hundred fold.
“Lord, help us accept your mercy that the gratuity of your love may always be in our hearts, and become our gift in forming all humanity into the Body of Christ. Father, thy will be done trough your Son in the power of the Holy Spirit who is sown into our hearts.” Amen.