FRUITFUL AND ENRICHING

Isaiah 55:10-11; Romans 8:18-22; Matthew 13:1-23

This is the story about Mayor Domenico Lucano of Riace in Calabria, located in Southern Italy. He is the grandson of a cobbler and the son of a local school teacher. He drew the attention of the world through his noble concept of developing an integrated programme titled “Città Futura”, which means the City of the Future. The singular purpose of the programme is to grant asylum to refugees and immigrants from Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iraq, Somalia, Palestine and Lebanon. He is convinced of the truth that “a man is a man with or without legal documents”. He works against tough Italian immigration policies and stiff resistance from the mafia. Despite the hurdles, he operates on this foundational principle: “The poorest of the poor would save Riace, and in return, Riace would save them”.

Riace, is a small, but a beautiful village with 1,700 people. It was a ghost town before Lucano became the mayor in 2004. Most of the people deserted their homes and settled in other places. Lucano put the immigrants into some of these abandoned houses and turned the other houses into craft workshops. Today, many of the locals are peacefully working side by side with the immigrants and many immigrants have re-gained the meaning of their life. Lubaba, for example, arrived pregnant in a small boat carrying 250 people. “The journey was awful”, she recalls. “We were squashed like sardines and the sea was rough. I was desperately thirsty but there was nothing to drink. Now my life is transformed”.

I am convinced that all of you would agree with me that Mayor Lucano’s commitment to transforming the life of the immigrants reflects the meaning of the parable of the Sower and the Seeds. The intended meaning of the parable is this: We are called to live a fruitful life. The Parable of the Sower and the Seeds was addressed by Jesus to his immediate audience as well as to his disciples. As we prayerfully reflect on the meaning of the parable for our personal lives, it will do well to have an idea about the landscape in Palestine.

In Palestine, the fields consisted of long narrow strips of land. The ground between the strips of land was used as a common pathway. This was the wayside beaten path. In every field there were small bits of land, where beneath a thin layer of earth, there was an underlying shelf of limestone rock. Besides, it is obvious that weeds were part of the fields. The weeds were quite strong and oftentimes they grew and chocked the sprouting seeds. Finally, there was the good ground with deep, clean and soft soil that produced abundant harvest. The field, therefore, consisted of the path, the rock, the thorns and the good soil.

The gospel that we heard today narrates that Jesus sat on a boat as a respectful Rabbi near the seashore. He would have seen a man sowing the seeds in a nearby field and he would have drawn the attention of his audience to this simple gesture of the sewer, which was quite common in Palestine. However, the context in which Jesus narrated the parable gives a deeper significance to the parable.

Jesus narrated this parable in a context of opposition, resistance, hostility, misunderstanding and conspiracy against him. The context is described in the previous chapter, which is chapter twelve of the gospel of Matthew. Chapter twelve consists of the following events and experiences.

• Jesus is in direct confrontation with the Pharisees for declaring that the “Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath” (Mt 12:8).

• The Pharisees conspire against Jesus and decide to destroy him for healing a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath (Mt 12:14).

• Jesus is accused of driving out demons with the power of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons (Mt 12:24).

• Jesus claims that he is greater than Jonah the prophet and Solomon the king (Mt 12:38-42).

• Jesus proclaims that “Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (Mt 12:50).

Jesus, therefore, in narrating this parable, was sharing his serious concern about whether the people responded to his message of the kingdom with a determination to do God’s will. His concern was quite natural because his message was viewed with prejudice. He was not given a patient listening. He was confronting a situation, where the ears of the people where shut, their eyes closed and their hearts hardened. Nevertheless, there was the inner circle of disciples and the common people who were receptive to the message of Jesus. Their presence gives hope and encouragement to Jesus. It was through them that Jesus was able to carry forward his mission after his death and resurrection.

This parable speaks about the Sower, the Seed and the Soil. The focus is neither on the Sower, nor on the seed. The focus is on the soil. Hence, the challenge of the parable is to live a fruitful life. This is beautifully expressed in the Lukan version of the parable: “But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who when they hear the word, hold fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance” (Luke 8:15). In a given situation, what does living a fruitful life signify? Living a fruitful life involves three steps: Listening, Integrating, and Translating God’s Word into concrete actions in our own specific contexts.

The First Step involves Listening

The Scriptures contain the living Word of God. It is our faith conviction that God is present in the text of the Bible. Every time we read the Scriptures God is talking to us in a very personal way. If we take our struggles, our questions, our conflicts, our agonies and our burdens to the Word of God, we would certainly find inspiration for our lives. Yet, this demands a prayerful attitude and the courage to listen to the Spirit of God moving our hearts. God speaks to us through the scriptures. Nevertheless, God also speaks to us in different ways and through every event and experience of life. In the letter to the Hebrews, we read: “Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets” (Heb 1:1).

The Second Step involves Integrating

In the book of Jeremiah, we have a very interesting text. It reads: “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart” (Jeremiah 15:16). Jeremiah listened to God’s call and paid serious attention to his words. Therefore, he had the courage of sharing his experience of eating God’s word, which means the word of God became part of his pattern of life. His choices, his priorities, his commitment, his perspectives and his attitude to life were determined by God’s word. Hence, despite all the odds he could still say that the word of God was the delight of his heart. We have a similar text in the psalms: “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth” (Psalm 119:103).

The Third Step involves Translating

In the first reading taken from the book of Isaiah we hear that the Word which proceeds from God’s mouth has a purpose to accomplish. It is easy to read God’s word. However, it is rather challenging to integrate God’s word and to translate God’s word into action. St. Paul is an excellent example of one who listened, integrated and translated God’s word in his life. Therefore, he could say: “Brothers and sisters: I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us” (Romans 8:18). The glory that Paul speaks of is not something that is to happen after our death. The glory of God will be manifested here on earth every time God’s word becomes tangible in concrete actions of love, kindness, compassion, understanding and forgiveness.

Today, as we reflect on the parable of the Sower and the Seed may the Spirit of God enable us to listen, integrate and translate God’s word in our personal lives and in our parish communities!    

Prayer

Abba Father, make our hearts fertile, our lives fruitful and our presence life-giving.

In Jesus’ Name we pray!

RESERVED FOR GOD

Ezek 37:21-28; Psalm Jer 31:10, 11-12 abcd, 13; Jn 11:45-56

Ezekiel is a temple priest and an inspired prophet, who was deported to Babylon in 597 BC along with others after the destruction of the city of Jerusalem. He was a fellow exile among his own people. His prophesies pointed to the sins and transgressions of the people. He insisted that the exilic situation was their own making and not a punishment inflicted by Yahweh. The situation gave Ezekiel an opportunity to proclaim his prophetic word as well as to perform symbolic actions that enabled the people to reflect on their sinful condition. His messages offered them a sense of hope. It is in this context, the vision of the valley of dry bones takes on a spiritual meaning. It is within the power of the Spirit of God to restore the dry bones back to life. In continuation with the vision of the dry bones, Yahweh instructs Ezekiel to perform a symbolic act of two sticks. The two sticks represents the two kingdoms – the southern kingdom of Judah and the northern kingdom of Israel. Ezekiel joined the two sticks as instructed by Yahweh.

Ezekiel’s symbolic act signified that Yahweh himself would take the initiative to merge the two kingdoms by his own hand (Ezek 37:19). Yahweh would uproot the people from the foreign nations and establish them again in the Promised Land. Consequently, there would be one king and one united kingdom. The people would also be cleansed of their idolatry, apostasy, sins and transgressions. Finally, God would renew the covenantal relationship with his people: “Then they shall be my people, and I will be their God” (Ezek 37:23). Further, Yahweh assured the people of four promises: first, the promise of a secure and everlasting homeland; second, the promise of an everlasting king from the lineage of David to shepherd his people; third, the promise of an everlasting covenant of peace and blessing; and fourth, the promise of an everlasting presence of Yahweh in his sanctuary. The intention behind these four promises is to demonstrate to the nations that Yahweh sanctifies the people of Israel, that is, the people of Israel are reserved for Yahweh alone.

In God’s design, Jesus is God’s chosen servant, who would initiate the process of gathering of all peoples. Jesus and his cross would bring about the communion desired by God as effectively prophesied by Caiaphas, who was the high priest during the time of Jesus. The context of his prophesy was the plot of the Jewish leaders to kill Jesus. The miracle of Lazarus coming back to life drew a few Jews to Jesus, who had witnessed the miracle along with Mary. A few of the Jews reported the miracle to the Jewish leaders, who were disturbed at the impact of Jesus on the common people. They were not able to tolerate any person who would claim to be a Messiah and possessed the power to work miracles. Messianic claims would evoke the sense of patriotism and nationalism among the Jews, causing a riot that would disturb the delicate balance between Rome and the local political and religious authorities. Therefore, Caiaphas suggested that Jesus should be put to death, because it was better for one man to die than the whole nation to perish. The prophetic pronouncement of Caiaphas had a double effect. It evoked memories of the courageous Maccabean martyrs who died for the nation as well as predicted the universal salvific effect of Christ’s death on the cross. Jesus, for the time being, moved away from Jerusalem into the wilderness with his disciples. However, he will return back to Jerusalem and embrace a violent death at the appointed ‘hour’. This hour would bring about the glorification of God and Jesus, the gift of the Holy Spirit and the gathering of those who believe that he is the ‘sent one’ of God.  

Prayer

Abba Father, may we have faith to believe in your presence despite the violence that surrounds us and move forward with courage to create a harmonious world.          

In Jesus’ Name we pray!

GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

2 Sam 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16; Psalm 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29;

Rom 4:13, 16-18, 22; Matt 1:16, 18-21, 24a

The Feast of St. Joseph offers us sufficient encouragement to live out our Christian faith in the face of conflicts, political oppressions and baffling confusions. It assures each of us that our faith lived out in obedience to God’s will would be fruitful and life-giving. It inspires us to live out our calling, which is unique to each one of us, with the guidance and empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

The themes of Liberation, Promise and Covenant are reflected in all the stories, narratives, and experiences recorded, both, in the Old Testament and the New Testament. The first reading taken from the Second Book of Samuel presents the Promise of God to David through Nathan that the royal throne of David would be established forever through an heir. In the Gospel narrative, Joseph is addressed as the “Son of David” by the angel in his dream. In Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus Christ, it is chronicled that it was through Joseph, the husband of Mary, that Jesus was born, who is called Christ” (Matt 1:2-16). St. Joseph, therefore, is a medium through whom God’s promise to David was fulfilled.

In the Gospel, Matthew records that Joseph was a righteous man. In the context of the Bible, calling a person righteous is the best and highest honour a person can receive. Righteousness signifies being faithful to the demands of covenant relationship to the core. In a way, it is imaging God in the concrete situations of life, for God is always righteous and faithful. In the second reading, St. Paul declares that righteousness is born of faith (Rom 4:13). Therefore, Joseph stands out as an excellent model of faith. In fact, both, Joseph and Mary made an identical act of faith. Mary accepted to be the virgin mother of the Messiah and believed that the Son to be born is conceived of the Holy Spirit. Joseph accepted Mary as his wife because he believed that the child conceived in the womb of his wife was through the power of the Holy Spirit. In their act of faith, Joseph and Mary lived out their own specific calling to share in the mystery of salvation, which was accomplished by Jesus, the Messiah, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The righteousness of Joseph was born of faith, and his obedience was a spontaneous expression of his faith and total confidence in God. The Gospel narrative points out that Joseph did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him to do: he took Mary as his wife and named his son Jesus. This was just a beginning of a journey of faith, marked with the need for constant and prayerful discernment. We shall reflect on three outstanding characteristics of Joseph to discern how he was obedient in faith. First, he was a dreamer, second, he was a migrant, and third, he was a lover, the beloved of Mary and Jesus.

Joseph the Dreamer

Marcus J Borg and John Dominic Crossan in their book, The First Christmas, point out that the birth of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew revolves around five dreams through which divine interventions and instructions are communicated. Four out of the five dreams are for Joseph. All the four dreams are life-impacting. The first dream was to accept Mary as his wife, the second dream was to flee to Egypt, the third dream was to come back to the land of Israel and the fourth dream was to change his domestic location to the district  of Galilee. In a world that is suffering from ‘trust deficit’ it is very difficult to imagine and accept how one could make responsible and life-changing decisions based on dreams. This points to a deeper and intuitive level of consciousness, which is being totally immersed in the presence of God. It was his total confidence in the presence of God that gave Joseph the inner certainty to follow his dreams.

Joseph the Migrant

Herod was the Pharaoh of Jesus’ time. His love for power and the fear of threat to his throne, which is engrained in every ruler, was beyond proportions. This, together with the political oppression of the Romans, the complacent attitude of the religious authorities and the plight of the peoples at the margins, created a very depressing environment for the common people to which Joseph, Mary and Jesus belonged to. In such an oppressive situation, the flight to Egypt would have been a very instinctive and intuitive response of Joseph to protect Mary and Jesus. The misery and suffering of the migrants was no better then, than what it is today. Yet, it was only through faith that Joseph survived the ordeal in a strange land among strange people, which would have evoked memories of being slaves in Egypt as well as God’s mighty liberating power.

Joseph the Lover

It is love that flows from an expansive and generous heart, which will take extra efforts to understand the purpose, the vocation, and the mission of a life partner. This magnanimous love, focused on the other, will provide sufficient space for the partner to follow her or his own dream. Therefore, Joseph as a lover strikes a delicate balance between being a guardian and a guide. It is love embedded in the heart of Joseph that allowed Mary and Jesus to follow the path designed by God for them.

In being a dreamer, a migrant and a lover, St. Joseph stands as a model of obedient faith. The learning experiences we can gather from St. Joseph is first, to listen to the voice of God even when we are surrounded by deafening sounds and compulsive distractions. Second, to come out of our complacency in the face of oppressive forces and to be in solidarity with those who resist oppression. Third, to learn to create an ambience and to provide space for others to carry out their mission. In this way, all of us could collaborate with the mysterious plan of God in establishing the Reign of God here on earth.

Prayer

Abba Father, we thank you for the gift of St. Joseph to the Church. May we like St. Joseph allow your customized plan to unfold in the different contours of our life.

In Jesus Name we pray!