Interrogation

~~~ 2 Samuel 7:4-17 ~~~ Psalm 89 ~~~ Mark 4:1-20 ~~~

...when he was alone, 
those present along with the Twelve 
questioned him about the parables.

Jesus was questioned throughout his public life.
He was questioned by the temple officials.
He was questioned by his followers,
even the ones he hand picked.

Jesus used his surroundings to highlight his teachings.
He was a master at making analogies
with which his listeners could relate.

Those present questioned him about his teachings,
because they wanted to have a better understanding.
Perhaps their personal interpretation
would not be accurate.

The followers of Jesus questioned him for
clarification and better understanding.

The officials not only questioned, but interrogated
Jesus looking for any flaws.

During my many years of teaching,
it was important for each student to feel
comfortable to ask questions.

In fact if you can formulate an intelligent question
it says something about your understanding of the topic.

The dictionary says...
to interrogate...sometimes to seek answers
 or information that the person questioned
considers personal or secret...
to question thoroughly.

Jesus was not just questioned...
Jesus was interrogated...
Jesus was questioned thoroughly.

The more we question about our faith
 the better we can understand.

It is true faith has many beautiful mysteries,
but this should not keep us from asking questions.

The twelve questioned Jesus himself
about the teachings in the parables.

Jesus was a master story teller.
Today we can still relate to his parables...
they are timeless.

 “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”

Ask God for a deeper understanding
 to what your ears are hearing.

Hearing is not equal to Understanding.

Ask (questions) and you will be given answers.

Blessed to question for a better understanding...
for what you understand you can share.

~~~Peace~~~

Seedless...

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

~~~ Isaiah 55:10-11 ~~~ Psalm 65 ~~~ Romans 8:18-23 ~~~
~~~Matthew 13:1-23 ~~~ 

The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.

A young bearded man stands up to exit the light rail, nothing unusual.
But as he approached the doors he tore up two of his tickets
 and threw them on the floor.

Then he tore up and threw more tickets
down on the platform just outside the doors.

He was obviously trying to make some sort of statement,
but was going about it in a very negative manner.

In light of the readings today, concerning seeds,
 I couldn't help but see a connection.
He was sowing his 'seeds' at least he went through the motion.
His message was one of anti community.
For some reason he felt like he was sending a message.
What was the content?
Who was the intended recipient?
There were only a handful of people around
 to even witness what he had done.
He left a mess and disappeared into the environment he was attacking.
What might he do next? In our society I dare not speculate.

The topic of seeds is a recurring throughout the Scriptures.
We hear about the good and the bad seeds, seeds as small as a mustard seed,
seeds that are sown in every type of ground conceivable.

Where are you sowing your seeds?
Have you cultivated them within your heart for a sufficient length of time?
Have you nourished them as a mother nourishes her child?
Have you let the seeds rot within your heart?
Have you let the weeds of your sins choke out the good seeds?

Or do you choose to be one of the new genetically altered fruits
who can no longer generate their own seeds?

Seedless oranges, seedless grapes, and seedless watermelons
are great for the consumer,
but they no longer have the potential to naturally
pass on the genetic material.
The seedless watermelon cannot
 use its seeds to become another watermelon.

Sometimes it seems that we live in a society
 where we are becoming seedless individuals.
We no longer pass on our values, morals, and beliefs.
We let others plant their values, morals, and beliefs into our hearts.

I invite you to keep your seeds alive, cherished and nourished
with the words of the Scriptures.

We are Blessed with all that we need gifted to us through the Holy Spirit.
Bear good fruit by sowing the seeds of love, compassion, and forgiveness.
~~~Peace~~~

A Heart of Rich Soil

~~~ 2 Samuel 7:4-17 ~~~ Psalm 89 ~~~ Mark 4:1-20 ~~~

Throughout the pages of the Old Testament we see God
housed in the ark of the covenant.
We see how this ark is carefully placed in a tent.
This ark is carried around with the people and is guarded.
It is honored and revered as a place of holiness.

God has boundaries and is kept hidden away.

We know that God does not have boundaries and he cannot be contained.

David is filled gratitude to the point of wanting to build
a wonderful cedar temple for the Lord.

“Here I am living in a house of cedar, 
but the ark of God dwells in a tent!”

God is with us just as he was with David...
God reminds him how he took him from caring for sheep
 to caring for the people of Israel.
The Lord makes promises to David
for his continued care
as a father cares for his son.

The Gospel brings us into the presence of Jesus...
God made flesh...one of us.

Jesus leaves in a boat to separate himself
from the growing crowd.
Jesus needs to set physical
 boundaries so he can teach the people.

This scene has been called the 'Sermon on the Sea' by some authors.

Now Jesus shares his parable of the seeds.
This is one of his more important parables.
There were many small farmers in this area.

Because the best plots of land were reserved
for those growing for the rulers,
a common farmer may not have very good soil.

The people could understand
 the many problems related to their farm land.

They also knew that in spite
of their poor soil; they were still able
to harvest some crops.

The astonishing yield of thirty, sixty, and hundredfold
did grab their attention.
It was unheard of to have that great of a yield.

Considering all that the early followers of Jesus went through,
 it is amazing that his teachings have survived
some two thousand years later.

We are part of the great mystery of the Kingdom of God.
The twelve apostles needed Jesus
to further explain his teachings to them.

When have you found yourself
needing God to clarify something for you?

Because his words are living;
meaning they are alive for us today,
it is of utmost importance that we pray for understanding.

What kind of soil waits in your heart for the seeds of his words?
Is it shallow? Is it rocky?
Is it tilled, moist and ready to receive?

...But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear 

the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty 
and sixty and a hundredfold.

I do want to bear fruit a hundredfold, but
I will be grateful for even thirty-fold.
Pray that God blesses you with fertile
soil within your heart.
Pray that you are able to hear and accept.

No Grumbling Allowed

 ~~~ Exodus 16:1-5, 9-15 ~~~ Psalm 78 ~ Matthew 13:1-9 ~~~

 

It is a wonder how Moses managed to put up with the grumbling Israelites.
They were much like spoiled children.

God chose Moses to be their leader.
He protects their sons.
He protects them from the Egyptians.
He allows Moses to part the water so they can escape safely.

Here in the desert the whole assembly of the children of Israel
grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 

 

There seems to be nothing that can make them happy.
They are constantly wanting more or something different.

At one point they even say they should have just stayed
where they were and lived as slaves.
The Lord, once again takes care of his chosen people.

Then the LORD said to Moses,
“I will now rain down bread from heaven for you.

Of course life is not easy day after day in the desert.
They are enduring a real hardship, but the reward is freedom.
God is taking care of them...he is showing them who he is.
He is proving that he is not the God of
but the God of providential care.

God does respond this day in the desert, but not because of their grumbling.
God responds because he keeps his covenant with his people.

God has a covenant with us too.
God  provided quail and flakes.
This story was probably the inspiration for frosted flakes.
The thought does make me smile.

 

 The gospel today is one we are very familiar...
the parable of the Sower and the Seed.
The Sower...God... goes out to plant the Seed...the Word...
Some of the seeds were eaten by the birds...our material world...
Some were scorched by the sun...our own selfishness...
Some were choked by thorns...our personal sinfulness...

But joyfully some seed fell upon rich fertile soil
and the harvest was abundant.
The harvest was more than abundant it exceeded the expected yield.

Back to the Israelites, not all of them were grumbling and complaining.
Some of them had hearts of fertile soil.
These were the ones who came to recognize
their great gift of friendship with God.

Where does this all leave us?
What can we do to prepare our heart to participate
in the abundant harvest?

Jesus says, 

Whoever has ears ought to hear.
 

Hear that God provided flakes of manna from heaven.
Here that he will never abandon his people.
Hear that today we have his words of spirit and life.
We have his presence in the Eucharist.
He comes down to us from heaven during the Consecration of each Mass.

Blessing come with ears that hear well.

Sprinkled Freely with His Words

~~~ Hebrews 10: 11-18 ~~~ Psalm 110 ~~~ Mark 4: 1-20 ~~~

 

This is the covenant I will establish with them
after those days, says the Lord:
“I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them upon their minds,”
he also says:
Their sins and their evildoing
I will remember no more.

 For all those out there who think that they are such terrible sinners

that God could never forgive them

read the above words slowly one more time.

 God wants us to be repentant for our sins,

but more importantly he desires to forgive us.

God wants us to be able to dwell with him in heaven.

 

God does not hold grudges.

God does not hold on to our sins.

He is, however, a just God.

Just as a parent will reprimand their child, whom they love,

so it is with God...he will reprimand.

He will call us to be responsible for our actions. 

 

 

The gospel today is the well known parable of the seeds.

Jesus tells the parable and then goes on to explain the meaning.

He does not want us to miss the point.

Those with him that day did us a favor by questioning

him about this parable.

Jesus was a great storyteller.

 

If you do not hear the words of God and let them to take root in your heart,

you may never realize the magnitude of the forgiveness of God.

The depth of God's forgiveness surpasses any other. 

 

We can never repay Jesus for our salvation.

The best we can do is to have faith and believe

in his words of forgiveness,

mercy, and love.

 

This is where the meaning of the sower and the seeds becomes a reality.

What kind of believer are you?

Do you just hear for the moment and then return

to your unbelieving ways? 

Do you hear without taking the words personally?

His words are just for you.

Are you a rainy day believer?

Are you a sunshine believer?

 

Be a believer who lets the word of God

speak to your heart each and every day.

Just like the post office motto...

rain or shine God is here for you.

He offers all that he has.

His words are Spirit and Life for your soul.

 

Picture leaving a wedding reception where everyone is throwing rice

or tiny seeds over the new couple...

this is how freely God scatters his words upon us.

 

The disciples, the lame, crippled, blind, hungry,

and the scribes and Pharisees were all covered with his words.

They each had ears with which to hear, but they did not all understand.

 

They each responded in their own way corresponding

to the condition of their soul when he spoke to them.

 How do you respond to the words of Jesus?

 

Next time you are generously tossing seeds upon a new couple;

think of how generously God's words are falling on you.

 

You are loved and blessed.

Believe it!

A Bare Kernel

~~~ 1 Cor 15: 35-37, 42-49 ~~~ Psalm 56 ~~~ Luke 8: 4-15 ~~~

 

 

The gospel today is the familiar paarable of the seeds..

...some seeds fell on the path and were trampled...

...some seeds fell on rocky ground it withered for lack of moisture...

...some fell among thorns and were choked...

 

Jesus goes on to explain the meaning if the seeds.

You are probably well aware of the interpretation of this gospel.

 

With that being said I want to draw your attention to Paul's letter to the Corinthians.

If you follow my writings you know how inspiring I find his words to be for me.

 

 

"...What you sow is not brought to life unless it dies.
And what you sow is not the body that is to be
but a bare kernel of wheat, perhaps, or of some other kind.

So also is the resurrection of the dead.
It is sown corruptible; it is raised incorruptible.
It is sown dishonorable; it is raised glorious.
It is sown weak; it is raised powerful.
It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.
If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual one..."

 

This passage was not familiar to me.

 I do not beleive it is part of the Sunday readings.

 

We are first of all spiritual beings.

Paul confirms here that if we have a natural body

we also have a spiritual one.

 

The green leaves, the flowers, and the fruit cannot be seen

within the bare little seed.

So it is with us.

We look into the mirror and only see the seed...the kernel of wheat.

Hidden within is our own spiritual body.

 

Our spirit it what will live on for all eternity.

Our spirit will not need the bodily 'seed covering or kernel'.

When the plant bursts forth from the seed, it is no longer needed.

It has served its purpose.

When we die our spiritual self contained within, will be set free.

 

In our resurrection the coruptible body will no longer be useful.

Without our cumbersome body we too will be glorious as we share

in the resurrection with our spirit.

Unless we die we cannot fully realize our true spiritual self.

Just as the dying of the seed gives way to the young tender leaf sprouts.

The death of the seed also brings forth beautiful blossoms

which later become the juicy fruit.

 

 

 

Dying is not the end of life.

Dying is more likely the transition.

Dying is more likelt the answer to the longing we have inside our soul.

Perhaps the soul is fully aware of this spiritual essence

and has been from our very conception.

 

So rather than fear dying we should rejoice at what lies beyond

human earthly bodies.

Our bodies are only the physical covering of something

incorruptible and glorious.

The resurrection of our body will be the release of our spiritual self.

 

I invite you to take some time today and reflect on Paul's words.

Are we just flesh and blood seed pods?