Daily Reflection | Gospel Reading | RVA

Gospel: Matthew 13:18-23
Now listen to the parable of the sower. When a person hears the message of the kingdom, but does not take it seriously, the devil comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed that fell along the footpath.
The seed that fell on rocky ground stands for the one who hears the word, and accepts it at once with joy. But such a person has no roots, and endures only for a while. No sooner is he harassed or persecuted because of the word, than he gives up.
The seed that fell among the thistles is the one who hears the word; but then, the worries of this life and the love of money choke the word; and it does not bear fruit.
As for the seed that fell on good soil, it is the one who hears the word and understands it; this seed bears fruit and produces a hundred, or sixty, or thirty times more.”

Reflections
“As for the seeds that fell on good soil.”
Jesus explication of the meaning of the parable emphasizes the kind of "soil", or the kind of heart, that receives God's message of love. Only the good soil, enables the seed to grow and bear fruit; it is only the receptive heart that serves as fertile ground for God's offer of forgiveness and love, and nothing else. The receptive heart is the condition through which God's word may develop and bear fruits of goodness, kindness, justice, tolerance, and forbearance. These fruits are dependent on the condition of the human heart, which is characterized by faith and repentance, prayers and acts of kindness, and mercy and com- passion. The parable invites us to reconsider the condition of our heart. How can we continuously transform it?
© Copyright Bible Diary 2019

Gospel: Matthew 20:20-28
Then the mother of James and John came to Jesus with her sons, and she knelt down, to ask a favor. Jesus said to her, “What do you want?” And she answered, “Here, you have my two sons. Grant, that they may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.”
Jesus said to the brothers, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They answered, “We can.” Jesus replied, “You will indeed drink my cup; but to sit at my right or at my left is not for me to grant. That will be for those, for whom my Father has prepared it.”
The other ten heard all this, and were angry with the two brothers. Then Jesus called them to him and said, “You know, that the rulers of nations behave like tyrants, and the powerful oppress them. It shall not be so among you: whoever wants to be great in your community, let him minister to the community. And if you want to be the first of all, make yourself the servant of all. Be like the Son of Man, who came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life to redeem many.”

Reflections
“The servant of all.”
Jesus sets the criteria for greatness, that is service. It is not power or the position one assumes. He laid this down as distinctive feature of how things run in the kingdom. In the community of disciples, human affairs are not to proceed through ambition and power, but service as the principle that should characterize the community, particularly those who hold leader- ship position(s).
A stark contrast is made clear, and Jesus modeled the manner by which the disciples/we are to conduct themselves/ourselves. Service, as motivated by love, addresses and fills a need. It seeks and is directed toward the good of the other. It is a going out of oneself because it sees a need outside of himself/herself. Whereas ambition's and power's primary objective is self-interest. Because they are directed to- ward self-benefit, ambition and power corrupts the human per- son. Their oppressive exercise manipulates, abuse and destroy. And their end result is the disintegration of Earth-human relationship and community.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2019

Gospel: Matthew 13:1-9
That same day, Jesus left the house and sat down by the lakeside. Many people gathered around him. So he got into a boat, and sat down, while the crowds stood on the shore; and he spoke to them in parables about many things.
Jesus said, “The sower went out to sow; and, as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path; and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where there was little soil, and the seeds sprouted quickly, because the soil was not deep. But as soon as the sun rose, the plants were scorched; and they withered, because they had no roots. Again, other seeds fell among thistles; and the thistles grew and choked the plants. Still, other seeds fell on good soil and produced a crop: some a hundredfold, others sixty, and others thirty. If you have ears, then hear!”

Reflections
“Other seeds fell on good soil and produced a good crop.”
A number of elements in the parable may be an excellent focus for reflection, namely: sower, the seed, the ground, the act of sowing itself, the receiving of the seeds, and the meeting of the seeds and the ground. All, being important, make possible the meeting or the encounter.
At any stage, or circumstance--might be people or events  in our life, an encounter with Jesus becomes a defining moment. It may or may not be transforming, depending on our response. But it is something we can take advantage of. An en- counter with Jesus can make us whole again, bringing together our "scattered pieces."
As fruits of the encounter, we are re-grounded in the truth and meaningfulness of life; we are able to re-orient ourselves toward the good, the truth, and that which is meaningful. Let us, therefore, pray that we truly encounter Jesus, even just once in our lifetime, because it will radically change us and our life, and allow us to see things in a new light.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2019

Gospel: Matthew 12:46-50
While Jesus was talking to the people, his mother and his brothers wanted to speak to him, and they waited outside. So someone said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside; they want to speak with you.”
Jesus answered, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look! Here are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Reflections
“A brother and sister and mother to me.”
By inaugurating the reign of God, Jesus establishes a “new historical family” on Earth. This new family is characterized by faith in Jesus and doing God’s will.
Jesus is straightforward in saying that the doing of the will of the Father makes one a brother, a sister and a mother to him. It is the condition for becoming a member of this new family of faith. It needs to be said here that prior to having faith and the doing of God’s will is conversion. Conversion, or repentance, leads to following Jesus and living out God’s will. It is the passport to- ward a relationship with God and other people who have under- gone the same conversion.
The closest possible relationship one can have is determined by our biological make-up, that is, our blood relationship with our siblings and parents. In the new family of faith in kingdom of God, doing the will of God is the bond, the connection, which brings together all those who believe in Jesus and the gospel. Beyond familial relationship, it is the principle that brings us into a relationship with one another.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2019