C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\My Documents\My Web\template.htm

19 Years Ago

July 13, 1995

Joyful Mysteries

Before Exposed Blessed Sacrament in the Holy Spirit Chapel
Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center

The Annunciation

1. R. Put yourself in the presence of the Almighty God. Before us is the same Jesus Christ who walked on the face of this earth and was carried in the womb of the Virgin Mary. He is present, the same Jesus who hung on the cross. Who are we that the Almighty God is present and that we are before Him? Let us bow our head and bend low for this truly is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and He is giving to us a great gift by allowing us to be so close.

2. R. We see the angel appearing to the Virgin Mary. Mary says yes to the angel, always complying with the Will of the Father. She loved the Father so much as a little child, always wanting to please the Father.

3. R. Mary is filled with the Holy Spirit, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus, the Son of God, enters this earth in the womb of the Virgin Mary. Who are we that God the Father so loved this world that He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, into this world? Jesus took on a human baby body.

4. R. We are His chosen ones. The Father created us with such love, each one of us individually, so precious to Him. He gave to us His Son that we would be saved and live with Him forever and ever in heaven.

5. R. To help the mysteries of the rosary live in our life, we must meditate on the intimacy between Jesus and Mary. We see the Two Hearts, The Heart of Jesus and the Heart of Mary, beat within the body of Mary. In two of the mysteries of the rosary, Jesus is inside of Mary’s body. There is such intimacy between those Two Hearts. In two mysteries of the rosary, the Hearts are enclosed in one body, beating together in the body of Mary.

6. R. Realizing this intimacy between Jesus and Mary can help us come closer to God. Mary is the key to intimacy with God.

7. Jesus: Let your hearts be soft and supple, My dear ones. Open wide your hearts and rid yourselves of all distractions of this world. Be alone with Me. I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and I am giving to you great gifts here, abundant graces to understand more the mysteries of My life and that of My Mother. Open wide your heart and forget all that is holding you apart from Me and meditate on these mysteries of Our lives.

8. Jesus: Make a Spiritual Communion. Feel the presence of the Almighty God as you do when you receive Holy Communion. For when you are in the state of grace, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit dwell within you in such a special way! You cannot imagine the beauty of a graced soul, a soul that is filled with My life. If I lifted the veil in this room, you would fall on your faces from the vibrancy of the rays that would come from the Consecrated Host. My dear ones, you do not know the great gifts I am giving to you in this room.

9. R. Always in compliance with the Will of the Father, Mary said yes to the angel and the Son of God was conceived within her womb. Mary mothers us this day and dispenses to us the life that was merited by Her Son on the cross. As Jesus was formed in the womb of His Mother through the Holy Spirit, we too are formed in the spiritual womb of our Mother. She dispenses life, the life of grace, to us as we are transformed more and more through the Holy Spirit into the image and likeness of Jesus, her Son. Who are we that God loves us so much?

10. R. As you meditate on these mysteries of the rosary, see the connectedness between the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Mary’s Heart that dwells in her Son. Let your heart dwell in the Heart of the Virgin Mary and your heart will dwell in Jesus’ Heart. You will be in such connection with this love, the love of your Mother and the love of Jesus, your Savior.

The Visitation

1. R. The Virgin Mary goes to visit Her cousin Elizabeth. The child in the womb of Elizabeth leaps for joy at the presence of the Almighty God. Here we are in this room and the Almighty God is present, no less present than He was in the womb of the Virgin Mary. The child in Elizabeth’s womb leaps for such joy! Let our hearts be filled with joy that God is here and has chosen us to be with Him. Nothing is an accident. Every hair of our head is numbered. He calls and we respond to this calling. He is by our side, with us every second, as we go about our day. He is so attentive to each and every one of our needs! He is talking in our hearts in such a gentle and kind voice, outpouring His gentle words of love. We do not hear many times, in the busyness of our lives. We do not hear the sweet and gentle words that He speaks in our hearts. So gently He tells of His love for us and of His longing to be ever closer to us. We put Him aside and go to the world. Our hearts are aching and begging for love. He says over and over again, “Come to Me. I am what your soul seeks and I am waiting. When your hearts are breaking and in pain, you must come to Me.” It is then that you will be comforted and you will receive the desires of your soul. Nothing on the face of the earth can fill the starved soul but the love of the almighty God.

2. Jesus: Many are called, but few are chosen. My dear ones, I have chosen you and My Mother has called you to this house. You are My apostles that will go into this world, laden with pain and suffering, and spread the love of God. This is not a little task. I am applying My grace to your lives. You will be fearless as you go about this world doing the work I am calling you to.

3. R. Mary goes to Her cousin Elizabeth, one person with whom to share the good news. We see in the windows in this chapel, across from the Visitation window, the Assumption into heaven, and then her Coronation as queen of heaven and earth. Her life and the life of Jesus unfold as They comply always with the Will of the Father. Always living in peace and joy. They knew the Father had a plan and They wanted to please Their beloved Father. We do not see that, from the day we were born, the Father had a plan for each one of us uniquely created with a mission far beyond our own comprehension. We seek for such little things, when the Almighty God is calling and leading us on our way. We are so precious to the Father! Dear Holy Spirit, open up our eyes and our hearts. Help us to realize the greatness which He has bestowed on us. Help us to realize that the Almighty God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - dwells within us. If we could see the state of our own soul, a soul in the state of grace, we would not believe the beauty of this soul.

4. R. It is in baptism that we are made children of God and heirs of heaven. We are children of God! God loved the world so much that He sent His only Son, so that we would be with Him forever in heaven. This is only a stopover on our way to eternity. The glory that awaits us is so immense that we can never comprehend it.

5. R. Mary visited Her cousin Elizabeth with the child Jesus within Her womb. We are visited by Jesus in this room in such a special way! For the Almighty God is outpouring His abundant grace to each one of us at this time. Mary, help us to be more sensitive to the touch of His Grace, to realize His life, the vibrancy of this life, within us.

6. Jesus: Many are called, but few are chosen. I have chosen you, and My Mother has called each one of you to Her house. This moment, moment by moment, second by second, you are being guarded and watched in this world that is suffering and in pain. You do not see the great gifts that I am outpouring to you. Open wide your heart. Let go any bitterness, anger and resentment, and live according to the Father’s Will. Operate in love. Do all your deeds in love, and know that your Father is guarding you. Your Mother is forever by your side protecting you. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit dwell within your heart in such intimacy. My dear ones, children of God, open your hearts and receive the graces that I am giving to you now.

7. Jesus: Prepare ye a way for the Lord. John the Baptist prepared a way for the Lord. I am sending you this day as My apostles into this world. Many will know My ways from the love in your heart. You are My apostles. It is through your example that you will teach many. The lessons to be taught are the lessons of love. You will be judged on how you loved God and loved one another. Like ripples on a pond, one act of love is transmitted and many hearts are touched. My dear ones, open wide your heart and let Me penetrate your soul with My abundant life.

8. R. Mary went to visit Her cousin Elizabeth with the good news. We see the outcome. We see Mary in the windows in this church. The apostles are beneath her. The Holy Spirit descends upon them. They are filled with the Holy Spirit and go into the world. We see their efforts in the world today. We do not see the greatness that occurs when we plant the seeds.

9. Jesus: Let not your hearts be troubled. Satan is pressing down and dividing many of My beloved ones. You must focus on My Heart and know that Satan is at work here. When you are harboring ill thoughts toward any person, Satan is attempting to divide you. Let your hearts be free and your minds be open. Pray for grace to deal with all of the sufferings that you are undergoing. It is in My grace that you will be strengthened. Pray every day for abundant grace to know and love God more. Come to the Eucharist and sit before Me in front of the Tabernacle. I give you My life. You will go about your duties. You will be free in your heart for it is My power that will power you. I am the Almighty God. You are My soldiers that I am sending into this world. In this world, You go into battle every day. I am guarding you and watching you, loving you and protecting you and filling you with My life.

10. Jesus: Come to Me, My beloved ones. I want to hold you close to My Heart. I want to caress and cuddle you and give you My love. I am Jesus, your Savior. I love you. I love you. I love you.

The Birth of the Lord Jesus

1. R. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary beat within the same body. Is there more intimacy than that? For two mysteries of the rosary we see these Two Hearts joined in one body. In the third mystery, the child Jesus is born. Mary was the life support of the physical life of Christ. Although Their bodies are now separated, the life of the child Jesus continues through the milk of His Mother.

2. R. Jesus gave to us His Mother who stood beneath the cross. He gives to us a share in His divine life, merited by His life and, in a special way, by His death on the cross. It is through Mary that we receive this life. She is the Mediatrix of all grace. She gave Jesus the life of his physical body. Grace flows through her to us. It is through Mary that we will be drawn closer and closer to the Heart of Jesus.

3. R. The sheep and the shepherds are around the child Jesus. Jesus Christ, born in a stable, in a manger, in the town of Bethlehem. The Chief Shepherd of the flock, a little baby, comes to this earth. He is not born high and mighty, with gold and silver. Rather, He is wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger, surrounded by sheep and beasts of the earth.

4. R. In the windows in this church we see the child Jesus in His manger, raised above His sheep. We see, in the window across from Jesus’ birth, that He is raised above the apostles and going into heaven. Jesus comes to feed His lambs and His sheep. He remains with us in the consecrated Host, but He leaves behind His Blessed Mother and the apostles to carry out the work that He began.

5. R. It is through the apostles that this Church is spread throughout this world. He calls us to be His apostles this Sh pherd of the flock. He sends us to feed the hungry souls with His love. Jesus gives us His life in the sacrament of baptism. He nourishes this life by His Body and Blood in the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.

6. R. He no longer walks this earth, but He remains, in His divinity and humanity, no less present today than the day He did walk the earth. He remains in the consecrated Host. He is as present in this room as the day He was born in the town of Bethlehem. Who are we that we have the Presence of the Almighty God? Where Jesus is, so are the Father and the Holy Spirit, for They are three in one. He is so closely united to Mary, His Mother. Mary is also present with us.

Jesus: Many are called, but few are chosen. I have chosen you this day, and I am showering you with My abundant grace, the grace of My life.

7. Song: Come unto Me…

8. Jesus: I give to you. I am the Almighty God. I have all the power. What have you to fear when I have chosen you and you have responded to My call? The Father is pleased with your efforts, My dear children. Live always to do the Will of the Father and you will live in peace and joy.

9. Jesus: I have not come to this earth to divide, but to save men from their sins. I came to this earth for love of My beloved ones. My dear one, release all of the anxiety and fear in your heart. Let Me bathe you in a bath of My love. I am Jesus and I am truly present and attentive to all your needs.

10. Jesus: This love is poured into your heart and you know more and more the presence of the Almighty God. Feel this presence within you. Release and let go of all distractions. I am the Almighty God and I am truly present.

The Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple

1. R. The child Jesus was taken to the Temple and presented to the Father.

2. R. Mary was told by Simeon of the sufferings to come. He said to Mary, “…and a sword will pierce your soul too.” (Lk 2:35)

3. R. Jesus, in His divine knowing, knew at all times all that would occur. Although He was a little baby that could not talk, He was the Almighty God and He knew of all the sufferings. Mary, His beloved Mother was told by Simeon of the sufferings to come. We see in many of the pictures, like the one of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, the looks on the faces of Jesus and Mary, for they shared within Their Hearts the deep secret that they knew that the cross would come. They went through Their lives and shared this secret in Their Hearts of the sufferings to come. They knew that Jesus would suffer. Simeon said to Mary, “…and a sword will pierce your soul too.” (Lk 2:35) A sword pierced the Heart of Jesus, and what came forth was blood and water, the birth of the sacramental life of the Church. This life flows through the pierced Heart of the Virgin Mary, for she is the Mediatrix of all graces. It is through her motherhood that we receive the life of Christ. As Christ received His life within Her womb, so we receive His life in the Church through the Virgin Mary. We receive this life through our Mother.

4. R. Let our hearts be filled with the life of the Almighty God. May our hearts sing, for we are given great gifts. In this room today, the Almighty God is present. His Mother is with us, mothering us and loving us.

5. R. Who are we that we are called to this Center, and that Jesus and Mary speak to us? This is a mission to spread the love of the Almighty God to the world. We must be attentive to this call, for God is calling us to do this work. We must let God work in our lives. We must silence the prompting of Satan to divide us. We must silence all of the negative thoughts within our minds and recognize that they are coming from Satan. We must pray for the grace to realize the great gifts that we are given. The Almighty God has chosen us. Many are called, but few are chosen.

Jesus: I have chosen each one of you. If you are hearing this message, you know you are hearing it because the Almighty God is calling you to a special mission. You are My soldiers that I am sending into the world to spread My light to all the dark corners. I am giving you great graces to do the work at hand. Open wide your hearts. Let go of all anger and resentment, any thoughts you have against your brothers, and love them. I call you to love, to love all men. I shed My blood for them. Love and you will be free. If you hold on to anger and resentment, your heart will be troubled and at unrest.

6. Jesus: Satan aims to trip you up and stop you in your path. The Almighty God is speaking to you. What have you to fear? Father, Son and Holy Spirit live within your heart. If the world shakes and the sun ceases to shine, within your heart you can feel the presence of your Father, Son and Holy Spirit so close to you and loving you. Release all your anxieties and let Me bathe you in a bath of My love. I am Jesus, and I am outpouring to you My life.

7. Jesus: The seeds of time move exceedingly slowly, but I see all time as one. My dear ones, see your life before you, from your birth to your death. Do not focus on the minutes and the seconds of this day. See the souls that will be paraded into hell some day because they did not respond to the grace that I am giving to them. I am sending you on a great mission. How you act, how you love in this world, will make the difference to many. See the big picture. Do not focus on the moments and the seconds in your life. Look, My dear one. Pray to the Spirit to open up your eyes and fill you with My grace. Where you are blind, you will now see.

8. R. The Presentation in the Temple is such an important mystery! Mary was told that a sword, too, would pierce her soul. All grace is released through Mary.

9. Jesus: Come unto Me, My beloved ones. I want to hold you gently in My arms and press you close to My Heart. I am Jesus. I speak to you with tenderness and love. You do not hear the gentle words that I speak to you, for you are busy and your lives are noisy. Release yourselves and come away with Me for short moments all through the day. Feel the presence of the Almighty God as I live and dwell within your hearts. I love you. I love you. I love you. I give to you now My abundant life. I am strengthening you for the days ahead. You are My soldiers that I will send to light up the dark night.

10. R. And she stands beneath the cross. I hear the wailing cries of the Virgin Mary as she sees her Son hang and suffer for three agonizing hours. She knows of the little children that will be condemned to hell forever, the little hearts that were willful, that did not accept the great grace that Jesus merited through His death.

The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple

1. R. The child Jesus was taken up to the Temple for the feast of Passover. Mary’s Heart ached constantly from the prophecy of Simeon. Feel in your heart as Mary felt. She knew ever since the prophecy of Simeon of the suffering to come. There was such a connection between Jesus and Mary, such intimacy between them! We see the Two Hearts beating within her body in the first two mysteries of the rosary. She provides life for Jesus through her milk in the third mystery. She comes to the Temple with the child Jesus in her arms and Simeon tells her of the sufferings to come. Now they take the child Jesus to the Temple. Jesus is separated from Mary and Joseph. Mary and Joseph go on their way and Jesus is left behind. When Mary realizes that the child Jesus was left behind, her Heart is in such sorrow! She returns to find the child Jesus.

2. R. I see all through the mysteries of the rosary the intimacy between Jesus and Mary. This separation was so painful to Mary, for she knew of the separation to come. When she found the child Jesus, she said to Him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” In her Heart, she knew the sufferings of Jesus to come. In the windows in this chapel, across from the Finding of Jesus in the Temple, is the Death of Jesus on the Cross. This was a small separation between her and her child. She searched, she knew of the sufferings to come. She knew of a more drastic separation. He would be locked in the tomb. Her Heart was in such sorrow, for she knew far more than what we see.

3. R. Mary carried many things in her Heart. Few times we hear her speak. There was a secret between her and her Son all through Their lives.

4. R. A sword, too, shall pierce your Heart, O Mary. Our eternal life was merited by Christ’s life and death on the cross. Water and blood poured forth from His pierced Heart. Life flows through Mary’s pierced Heart to us for she is the Mediatrix of all graces. Our Mother, giving to us, dispensing to us this life. As she gave life to the physical body of Jesus, so she dispenses supernatural life to us.

5. R. We are being formed more and more in the spiritual womb of Mary, through the Holy Spirit, to be more andmore like Jesus.

6. Mary: My dear little children, I am Mary, your Mother. I askyou to pray as you have never prayed before from your heart for all the little lost children in this world today. I stood under the cross and I watched my Son as He suffered and died. This day, my dear ones, many of my children will be lost forever, for their hearts are willful and they go about their lives in sin. Jesus loves each and every child. I am theMother of each child. I love each one of my children, your brothers. Will you pray from your hearts, my dear children? Pray for all the little lost children of this world. I am Mary, your Mother, and I am asking you this day to hear my words. I speak to you with this urgent request to pray as you have never prayed before.

7. Mary: My Heart was in such sorrow for the loss of my child! My Heart is sorrowing for the loss of so many this day. My dear little children, pray. Offer your days, each day, to the Father in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, in the Spirit, with all the angels and saints and souls in purgatory. Offer up all of your actions for the little children of this world who are suffering and in pain.

8. Mary: I am Mary, your Mother. I speak to you. This is an urgent request. Let go and come to the Heart of my Son. He will fill you with such love and you will go into this world. You will spread this love. Pray to the Father. Come to my Heart and dwell in my Heart. For I dwell in the Heart of my Son, and I will place you in the deepest recesses of His Heart. Pray to the Holy Spirit. My dear ones, when you are filled with the love of God, when you come from a place where your hearts are filled with love, you will give love to all in this world. When your hearts are sorrowing and in pain, come to the Almighty God. Spend quiet moments with Him, and let Him fill you with His love. My Son Jesus is waiting and waiting, minute by minute, second by second, for you to come. Come, my little children, to the Heart of my Son.

9. Jesus: Many are called, but few are chosen. You have been called to the house of My Mother to hear this message. I am Jesus, your beloved Savior. I speak to you, My dear ones, with a soft and gentle Heart, always a Heart that is filled with such love! Come to Me and I will give to you all that you need. This world is hurting and in pain, and I am sending you into the world as My soldiers to light the darkness. My dear little ones, this world has turned godless. You must focus on the Almighty God. Do not let Satan talk in your minds to divide you. Do not harbor in your hearts any resentment or anger toward your brothers. Harboring this resentment and anger hurts your union with Me. Only a heart of love can properly unite with My Heart. I call you to holiness. I call you to open up your hearts and let Me enter. I will give to you My divine life and My divine love. I am Jesus. I talk to you gently and sweetly. Do you hear? It is in the quietness that you will hear My gentle voice. I am attentive to your every need, gently caring for each and every one of the tasks that you perform. I love you! I love you! I love you! Surrender, My dear ones, and know that I will never abandon you. I wait by the door of your heart. I wait, I wait, I wait. Will you open your heart and let Me in? Trade any bitterness for My divine love. I am Jesus, your beloved Savior. I gave My life for you. Will you love your hurting brothers for Me?

10. Hail Mary…

R. Mary said to tell you that She has called each and every person here. She wants you to answer this call. The time is urgent and this world is in need of your prayers. Come to her Son in the Eucharist and in front of the Tabernacle. It is there that He will instruct you in the ways He wants you to go. You are loved far beyond your comprehension. It is in Him that you will find peace and joy. He has all the answers for your life. Do not pick up your phones and complain and argue. Come to the Heart of Jesus and feel the peace that He gives to you. Feel the life that He outpours. He is the Almighty God and He has all the power. Amen.

Song: I come to you with greatest love…

The Seven Sorrows of Mary…

R. Jesus said, “I love you! I love you! I love you!” He wants hearts that are on fire for love of Him. He wants to hear from your lips the words of your love. He is waiting and longing and thirsting. He loves you personally. He loves you so much!

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Isaiah 55: 10-11

For, as the rain and the snow
    come down from the sky
and do not return
    before having watered the earth,
fertilising it and making it germinate
to provide seed for the sower
    and food to eat,
so it is with the word
    that goes from my mouth:
it will not return to me unfulfilled
or before having carried out
    my good pleasure
and having achieved
     what it was sent to do.

Psalm 65: 10-13

you water its furrows abundantly, level its ridges,
soften it with showers and bless its shoots.
You crown the year with your generosity,
richness seeps from your tracks,
the pastures of the desert grow moist,
the hillsides are wrapped in joy,
the meadows are covered with flocks,
the valleys clothed with wheat; they shout and sing for joy.

Romans 8: 18-23

Glory is our destiny

In my estimation, all that we suffer in the present time is nothing in comparison with the glory which is destined to be disclosed for us, for the whole creation is waiting with eagerness for the children of God to be revealed. It was not for its own purposes that creation had frustration imposed on it, but for the purposes of him who imposed it—with the intention that the whole creation itself might be freed from its slavery to corruption and brought into the same glorious freedom as the children of God. We are well aware that the whole creation, until this time, has been groaning in labour pains. And not only that: we too, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we are groaning inside ourselves, waiting with eagerness for our bodies to be set free.

Matthew 13: 1-23

Introduction

That same day, Jesus left the house and sat by the lakeside, but such large crowds gathered round him that he got into a boat and sat there. The people all stood on the shore, and he told them many things in parables.

Parable of the sower

He said, ‘Listen, a sower went 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 at once, 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. Anyone who has ears should listen!

Why Jesus speaks in parables

Then, the disciples went up to him and asked, ‘Why do you talk to them in parables?’ In answer, he said, ‘Because to you is granted to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is not granted. Anyone who has will be given more and will have more than enough; but anyone who has not will be deprived even of what he has. The reason I talk to them in parables is that they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding. So in their case what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah is being fulfilled:

Listen and listen, but never understand!
Look, and look, but never perceive!
This people’s heart has grown coarse,
     their ears dulled,
they have shut their eyes tight
to avoid using their eyes to see,
     their ears to hear,
their heart to understand,
changing their ways
     and being healed by me.

‘But blessed are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear! In truth I tell you, many prophets and upright people longed to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.

The parable of the sower explained

‘So pay attention to the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom without understanding, the Evil One comes and carries off what was sown in his heart: this is the seed sown on the edge of the path. The seed sown on patches of rock is someone who hears the word and welcomes it at once with joy. But such a person has no root deep down and does not last; should some trial come, or some persecution on account of the word, at once he falls away. The seed sown in thorns is some one who hears the word, but the worry of the world and the lure of riches choke the word and so it produces nothing. And the seed sown in rich soil is someone who hears the word and understands it; this is the one who yields a harvest and produces now a hundredfold, now sixty, now thirty.’

R. The Sorrowful Mysteries I received before Mass, the Glorious Mysteries after Mass. I saw in Mass that He was strengthening my roots so that I existed firmly rooted in Him.

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

July 10, 2011

INTRODUCTION – (Isaiah 55:10-11; Romans 8:18-23; Matthew 13:1-9 or 1-23) In today’s first reading, the prophet had as his audience God’s captive people in Babylon. God had been telling them, through the prophet, that after 50 years of captivity and slavery to the Babylonians, they would soon be able to return to Israel, to their cities, their homes and their farms. Many doubted this could be true. In today’s passage God is assuring them his promise will be fulfilled. God compares his word to the rain and the snow. When God sends moisture to the earth, it does the work of keeping the world green and alive. When God sends out his word, it is not full of empty promises, it is effective and powerful and is able to accomplish what it was sent to do. As we will hear in today’s gospel parable, another way of thinking of the power of the word of God is to think of it as a seed.

HOMILY – A newly ordained priest was having a difficult time getting started preparing his first sermon. He asked his pastor for a suggestion and his pastor told him: “start with something that’s certain to grab their attention. For example, you might say: ‘some of the best years of my life were spent in the arms of a woman who was someone else’s wife.” The pastor smiled at the young priest’s shocked expression, then added “She was my mother.” That Sunday the nervous young priest ascended the pulpit, sweating and shaking. Finally he said “the pastor told me some of the best years of his life were spent in the arms of a woman who was someone else’s wife.” He was pleased in getting everyone’s attention but his nervousness overtook him, his mind went blank and he just blurted out: “For the life of me, I can’t remember if he said who she was.” (Reader’s Digest, Laughter, pg 285)

I thought that might be an appropriate start for today’s parable about growth. As infants we all spent a lot of time in someone’s arms, most probably our parents. But somehow we grew up, started walking, talking, going to school, then eventually driving, working, getting married perhaps and getting older. When we were young, we couldn’t grow up fast enough; now time goes by too fast. Counting this Sunday’s parable, we’re going to have three weeks of parables about God’s kingdom (or as Matthew likes to call it: “the kingdom of heaven”). Actually today’s parable is hardly a parable. A parable usually has an unexpected ending. Today’s parable is entirely predictable. If we throw seed on the ground, some of it will grow if the climate is agreeable and there is enough sun and moisture. I used the short form of the parable because we’ve heard it so often and pretty much know how it is interpreted. If we were reading Matthew’s gospel from beginning to end, we would see that today’s gospel describes the various ways people had been responding to Jesus up to this point in his ministry. He was accused of being possessed, of being a breaker of divine law, and a blasphemer. Some people thought he was a great healer, and having made them well, they went happily on about their business and didn’t think any more about him. Some enjoyed his stories and were entertained as long as he was willing to entertain them, but if he asked something difficult of them, they sought other kinds of entertainment. Then there were some who thought he had something worthwhile to say and they continued to listen to him and learn from him. Jesus was like the farmer sowing the seed. Although he didn’t touch all hearts, those whose hearts he touched grew and produced good fruit; that is, their lives were virtuous and pleasing to God.

Jesus’ message for us in today’s parable is to know first of all that the kingdom of heaven is not an entitlement (as a lot of people these days assume it is). Just because the seed of grace has been planted in our hearts, if we do nothing with it, it will die. If it lives in us, it will grow. We know that some of the growth we experience in life, such as growing physically, just happens automatically as we grow older. Other kinds of growth require intentional effort on our part – such as growing in enough knowledge to get a degree or growing in certain skills; i.e., athletic or artistic or knowing how to get along socially with others or managing our finances so we can support ourselves.

Growing in God’s grace and holiness is like this second kind of growth. It is intentional on our part. It is not accidental. It involves making a choice that Jesus is more important to us than anything or anyone else. It means choosing to believe that he has come to teach us the way to God and choosing to follow him faithfully. It also involves patience as we wait for the fullness of the kingdom. Just as God has given us the sun and the rain to make the seed grow, so if we put forth the effort spiritually, God will supply the means necessary to produce an extraordinarily abundant harvest in our lives. Investing our lives in him will give us a fantastic return on our investment (30, 60 or 100 fold).


11" Fatima Statue with image glass	Your choice of Bible DVD – Joseph	Or Esther	8x10 picture of Our Lady of Clearwater

Blue Book 4	Blue Book 5	Blue Book 6A	Blue Book 6B	Blue Book 6C
Blue Book 7	Blue Book 8	Blue Book 9	Blue Book 10