Daily Readings - Sat Sep 17 2022
1 Corinthians
35But someone may say, "How do the dead rise again?" or, "What type of body do they return with?36How foolish! What you sow cannot be brought back to life, unless it first dies37And what you sow is not the body that will be in the future, but a bare grain, such as of wheat, or of some other grain42So it is also with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown in corruption shall rise to incorruption43What is sown in dishonor shall rise to glory. What is sown in weakness shall rise to power44What is sown with an animal body shall rise with a spiritual body. If there is an animal body, there is also a spiritual one.45Just as it was written that the first man, Adam, was made with a living soul, so shall the last Adam be made with a spirit brought back to life46So what is, at first, not spiritual, but animal, next becomes spiritual47The first man, being earthly, was of the earth; the second man, being heavenly, will be of heaven48Such things as are like the earth are earthly; and such things as are like the heavens are heavenly49And so, just as we have carried the image of what is earthly, let us also carry the image of what is heavenly50Now I say this, brothers, because flesh and blood is not able to possess the kingdom of God; neither will what is corrupt possess what is incorrupt
Luke
4Then, when a very numerous crowd was gathering together and hurrying from the cities to him, he spoke using a comparison5"The sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell beside the way; and it was trampled and the birds of the air devoured it6And some fell upon rock; and having sprung up, it withered away, because it had no moisture7And some fell among thorns; and the thorns, rising up with it, suffocated it8And some fell upon good soil; and having sprung up, it produced fruit one hundredfold." As he said these things, he cried out, "Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.9Then his disciples questioned him as to what this parable might mean10And he said to them: "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God. But to the rest, it is in parables, so that: seeing, they may not perceive, and hearing, they may not understand11Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God12And those beside the way are those who hear it, but then the devil comes and takes the word from their heart, lest by believing it they may be saved13Now those upon rock are those who, when they hear it, accept the word with joy, but these have no roots. So they believe for a time, but in a time of testing, they fall away14And those which fell among thorns are those who have heard it, but as they go along, they are suffocated by the concerns and riches and pleasures of this life, and so they do not yield fruit15But those which were on good soil are those who, upon hearing the word with a good and noble heart, retain it, and they bring forth fruit in patience
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the mystery of transformation and the call to openness to God’s word. In the first reading from 1 Corinthians, St. Paul uses the image of a seed to explain the resurrection of the dead. Just as a seed must die and be buried in the earth before it can sprout into new life, our bodies, though weak and corruptible now, will one day rise in glory, power, and as spiritual bodies. Paul emphasizes that our earthly bodies are not the final reality; they are but a shadow of the heavenly bodies we will one day receive. This teaching reassures us that death is not the end but a transformation, a passage from the earthly to the heavenly.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the sower, which complements Paul’s teaching. The seed represents the word of God, and the different types of soil symbolize the various ways people respond to that word. Some hear the word but let it be stolen away by distractions or temptations. Others receive it with enthusiasm but lack the depth to sustain it through trials. Still, others allow the cares and riches of the world to choke its growth. Only those with good and noble hearts, who receive the word with patience and perseverance, bear fruit. Jesus’ parable reminds us that the word of God has the power to transform us, but we must create the conditions for it to take root and flourish in our lives.
Both readings call us to reflect on our own openness to God’s word and our readiness to embrace the transformation He offers. Just as the seed must die to produce new life, we must let go of our old selves—our sins, our fears, our attachments—to rise to new life in Christ. Let us ask ourselves: What kind of soil am I? Do I allow the word of God to take root in my heart, or do I let the pressures of the world suffocate it? May we strive to be the good soil, nurturing the word with faith and patience, so that we may bear fruit in abundance and live with hope in the promise of eternal life.