Daily Readings - Sat Sep 19 2020
1 Corinthians
35But someone may ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?"36How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.37When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else.42So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable;43it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;44it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.45So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam, a lifegiving spirit.46The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual.47The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven.48As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven.49And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.50I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
Luke
4While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable:5"A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up.6Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture.7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants.8Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown." When he said this, he called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."9His disciples asked him what this parable meant.10He said, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, "'though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.'11"This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.12Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.13Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.14The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.15But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.
Sermon
Today’s readings invite us to reflect on transformation and growth, both in our bodies and in our hearts. In the First Reading from 1 Corinthians, St. Paul speaks about the mystery of the resurrection. He compares the earthly body to the heavenly body, emphasizing that what is sown in weakness and corruption will rise in power and incorruption. This passage reassures us that our current state is not final; God has a glorious plan for our bodies and souls. The resurrection is not just a future hope but a present reality shaping how we live, urging us to trust in God’s transformative power.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells the Parable of the Sower, highlighting the importance of receptive hearts. The seed represents God’s word, and the different soils symbolize how we receive it. Some hearts are distracted by worldly concerns, others are shallow, but those with good and noble hearts bear fruit in patience. This parable reminds us that spiritual growth requires nurturing our hearts, ensuring they are fertile ground for God’s word to take root.
Both readings call us to openness and trust. Just as the seed needs fertile soil to grow, our hearts must be open to God’s word. Let us cultivate hearts that are receptive and trusting, allowing His word to transform us. As we journey through life, may we trust in God’s power to bring forth fruit in our lives, just as He promises to raise our bodies in glory.