Daily Readings - Wed Jul 24 2024

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

In today's readings, we encounter two profound moments of divine call and response. The first reading from Jeremiah recounts the prophet's humble beginnings and his initial hesitation when called by God. Despite feeling inadequate as "just a boy," Jeremiah is reassured by God, who promises to be with him and to place His words in his mouth. This passage underscores God's trust in us, even when we feel unprepared or unworthy. The Gospel from Matthew presents Jesus' parable of the sower, which invites us to reflect on how we receive God's word. The seeds that fall on fertile soil produce abundant fruit, while those on rocky or thorny ground do not. This parable challenges us to consider the condition of our hearts and our willingness to nurture God's message in our lives. These readings are intricately connected. Jeremiah's call to speak God's word and the parable of the sower both emphasize our role as recipients and responders to God's message. Just as Jeremiah was called to proclaim, we are called to listen and receive with open hearts. The moral lesson here is clear: trust in God's plan and cultivate a heart that is receptive and fertile ground for His word. As we apply this to our daily lives, let us reflect on our receptiveness to God's message. Do we allow His word to take root, or do we let distractions or hardness of heart hinder its growth? Let us strive to be like the fertile soil, bearing fruit abundantly. May we trust in God's presence and guidance, just as Jeremiah did, and may our hearts remain open to the seeds of faith, hope, and love that God sows in us.