15th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A
Through an agricultural metaphor, the readings invite us to contemplate a generous God, who has planted his Word among us and is actively at work so that, having become children of God, we may obtain eternal redemption.
1st Reading: Isaiah 55:10–11
The first reading, written for a period of Israel’s return from Babylon, uses the image of rain and snow that soak the earth and cause it to bloom. For a farmer, the processes from planting to harvest require patience. In the same way, believers need patience to experience the fulfilment of the Word of the Lord in their lives. The promise is very strong: The Word will not return empty. It will accomplish whatever God wills. It will prosper in the purpose for which God sent it. Believers are called to remain faithful as God’s promises are fulfilled.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 65
The psalm continues this same theme. It speaks of the earth being saturated with rain, the abundance of food, the multiplication of fruits and valleys covered with grain. The last line of the psalm speaks of the people crying out with joy, a resounding “YES” and singing a hymn. When God has blessed us, we should return praise to him.
2nd Reading: Romans 8:18–23
In the second reading, St. Paul, writing to the Romans, is about to conclude his argument concerning the justification of Gentiles without the need for circumcision. Until the coming of Christ, the Gentiles would not have been considered children of God. Their suffering is about to end. Through Jesus Christ, their adoption is complete, and the redemption of their bodies is imminent.
Gospel: Matthew 13:1–23
The Gospel reading presents an image of a generous God through the parable of the sower. The sower scatters the seed in all kinds of places: along the road, on rocky ground, among thorns, and on good soil. We must recall that seed was an expensive and precious commodity in the ancient world. Scattering it so freely would have seemed wasteful, yet it also signifies abundance. As the explanation to the parable says, the seed is the Word of God. The Word of God is a precious gift. This precious gift has been shared with us. Whenever it is proclaimed, we are invited to have the proper disposition so that it can bear abundant fruits. As Jesus says, “The one who hears the Word bears fruit, yielding a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.”
What does it mean to bear fruit in the Christian sense? We can find the answer in the Gospel of Matthew, particularly in Jesus’ first and last major discourses: the Beatitudes (Mt. 5: 1-12) and the Last Judgement (Mt, 25:31-46).