Homily For Wednesday Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 26 July, 2023. The Memorial of SS. Joachim and Anne

Readings: Exo.16:1-5.9-15; Ps. 78; Matt:13:1-9

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

DO NOT LET THE THORNS OF LIFE CHOKE THE WORD OF GOD IN YOUR HEART

 

Those who are into farming understands very well how a healthy seed blossoms on a fertile soil. Little wonder Jesus in the parable of the sower decided to use this great farming mechanism to explain the relationship between the Word of God and the human heart. Because the Word of God is to the human heart what a healthy seed is to the soil.

 

In this parable Jesus said to the crowd, ‘Imagine a sower going out to sow. As he sowed, some seeds fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on patches of rock where they found little soil and sprang up straight away, because there was no depth of earth; but as soon as the sun came up they were scorched and, not having any roots, they withered away. Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Others fell on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Listen, anyone who has ears!’

 

Here, Jesus uses the parable of the sower to describe different kind of response to God's Word for there are four obstacles that can distract us from making our hearts a fertile soil. These obstacles include: shallow mindedness, hardened heart, worldly desires and finally, trails and persecutions. Most people fall in some, if not in all of these obstacles.

 

But what about the good soil? These are those who made their hearts a fertile soil through love and purity of heart which helped them to hear the Word of God and understands it, and indeed bears fruit and yield an abundant harvest of hundred, sixty and thirty folds. Our Mother Mary is a good example of such people. For Mary was a wonderful seed sown in the fertile soil of SS. Joachim and Anne's family, whose memorial we celebrate today. For they were entrusted with the task of nurturing and bringing up Mary as a great instrument for God’s salvation for humanity.

 

Thus, today we celebrate these two great saints for their dedication and commitment towards the nurturing and bringing up Mary to be Immaculate and pure, worthy to be the vessel of our salvation in Christ. They played their role as the guardians and parents of Mary, that she grew in faith and love for the Lord. In a similar way we are also entrusted with different responsibilities, persons and missions that seems very little as mustard seed, but have we made our soul a fertile ground for it to grow? Are we nurturing them to grow into great trees for God’s Kingdom?

 

Dear friends, today Lord Jesus  gives us  this wonderful and beautiful parable of life, are we disposed to letting his word blossom in our souls? Or are we like the people of Israel who in our first reading today complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness because of little challenges of life and decided to go back to their old ways of life in Egypt, for thorns of life has made them to hardened their hearts against God and his Prophets.

 

Remember, our hearts are the fields in which the Word of God is scattered, to which do our hearts belong: the path way, the rocky ground, the thorns or the good soil. Whichever one, we are called to pay attention and take some time to appreciate and dispose our hearts more, so that God’s Word may find a root in us.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, each and every one of us have received the seeds of your Words just like SS. Joachim and Anne, give us grace to remain open to receiving your Word, so that it will blossom in our souls and bear fruit abundantly. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful day.