Daily Readings - Wed Jul 20 2022

¹The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin⁴And the word of the Lord came to me, saying⁵"Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. And before you went forth from the womb, I sanctified you. And I made you a prophet to the nations.⁶And I said: "Alas, alas, alas, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am a boy.⁷And the Lord said to me: "Do not choose to say, ‘I am a boy.’ For you shall go forth to everyone to whom I will send you. And you shall speak all that I will command you⁸You should not be afraid before their face. For I am with you, so that I may deliver you," says the Lord⁹And the Lord put forth his hand, and he touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me: "Behold, I have placed my words in your mouth¹⁰Behold, today I have appointed you over nations and over kingdoms, so that you may root up, and pull down, and destroy, and scatter, and so that you may build and plant.

Matthew

Chapter 13

¹In that day, Jesus, departing from the house, sat down beside the sea²And such great crowds were gathered to him that he climbed into a boat and he sat down. And the entire multitude stood on the shore³And he spoke many things to them in parables, saying: "Behold, a sower went out to sow seed⁴And while he was sowing, some fell beside the road, and the birds of the air came and ate it⁵Then others fell in a rocky place, where they did not have much soil. And they sprung up promptly, because they had no depth of soil⁶But when the sun rose up, they were scorched, and because they had no roots, they withered⁷Still others fell among thorns, and the thorns increased and suffocated them⁸Yet some others fell upon good soil, and they produced fruit: some one hundred fold, some sixty fold, some thirty fold⁹Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on God’s call and our response to it. In the first reading, Jeremiah, a young and reluctant prophet, is called by God to speak to the nations. Despite his fears and insecurities, God assures him, “Do not say, ‘I am a boy.’ For you shall go to everyone I send you.” This passage reminds us that God’s call often comes when we feel unprepared or unworthy, but His grace is sufficient to overcome our limitations. Jeremiah’s mission is to “root up and pull down, to destroy and scatter, to build and plant,” a powerful reminder that God’s word has the power to transform and renew. In the Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the sower, which challenges us to consider how we receive God’s word. The seed that falls on good soil bears fruit abundantly, while the seed that falls on rocky or thorny ground withers away. This parable is not just about the soil; it is about the disposition of our hearts. Like Jeremiah, we are called to be open and receptive to God’s word, trusting that it will bear fruit in our lives. The parable also reminds us that our response to God’s word determines the depth of its impact in our lives and in the world around us. These readings call us to trust in God’s plan and to be open to His word. Like Jeremiah, we may feel inadequate or unprepared, but God equips us for the mission He has given us. Like the good soil, we must cultivate humility, openness, and perseverance so that God’s word can take root in our hearts and bear fruit in our lives. Let us ask for the grace to be faithful stewards of the gifts and callings God has entrusted to us, and to trust in His promise to be with us always.