* 15th Sunday (A), July 13, 2008
* Theme: What has God’s Word Produced In Us?

* Introduction:
* The readings today talk about God’s Word being sown in the world.
* They ask the question, “What has this Word produced in us?”
* Personally, the image of sowing and harvesting are hard for me to capture.
* I am one of those people that has a Non-Green Thumb; that is, I can kill even a plastic plant.
* Nevertheless, I think, the images of Word and Seed and Harvest carry significant meaning for all of us.

* Words are powerful in themselves:
* I love you
* I hate you
* I respect you
* I distrust you – are all words loaded with meaning
* When these words are said to us – they usually cause a response in us.
* When we say these words, they usually elicit a response in others.
* Some words: Love and Respect – are positive and good
* Some words: Hate and Distrust – are negative and hurtful

* This Political Season underscores the power of words and their affect on people.
* Both Barack Obama and John McCain have used throw away lines that have caused a firestorm that each has had to later retract or spin differently
* Each has had to distance himself from presumed colleagues who have misspoken.
* Words and images do indeed elicit a response in us

* In the readings today – God’s word is seen as going out from God (first reading), or being planted to grow (Gospel).
* Let’s reflect on today’s Gospel parable
* Parables are easy to hear, remember and apply to life.
* They are similar to poems; they say it clearly to those who are attuned to the poetic style.
* They are confusing to those who like the easy factual displays.
* Jesus challenges with his parables, but he lets those in the audience come to their own conclusion as to the complete meaning of his words.

* Hearing today’s parable, many will try to figure out what kind of soil they are.
* But, that should not be the question:
* It ends up only in self-negativity and preoccupation.
* Go rather to the Sower, to the Rain-Sender and do not ask questions which will take away mystery, such as the Pharisees asked.
* (Cf. Larry Gillick, S.J., creighton.edu)

* The Word of God is made clear only in the person of Jesus
* Jesus who forgave the adulterous woman!
* Jesus who compassionately raised from the dead the son of a poor widow
* Jesus who ate with outcasts and sinners
* Jesus who judged a person’s heart rather than his or her status

* These are the Words of God – These are seeds planted in our hearts – How do we allow them to grow?
* Do we choke them with our hatred?
* Do we adhere to them with our mouths, but live our lives in selfish self-absorption?
* Do we nourish them and try to make them real in our lives?

* Looking around us, I doubt that any of us have any answers to the terrorists’ attacks in the world today.
* We all want the violence to stop
* We all want the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to end.
* Yet, we are probably all puzzled about what we need to do here and now to let God’s Word grow in us and produce.

* Maybe for us – the response in going to be at the MARGINS
* We know that there is so little that we can really control in our lives, but maybe we can help tear down the walls that separate us as people.
* We know that fundamentally these walls are what prevent the harvest from growing.

* A couple of Examples:
* The so called California Dream Act, which will allow undocumented and out of state students to apply and compete for institutional financial aid
* Are we for it or against it because we have reasoned out the right thing to do or because of an uninformed prejudice – for or against - that we cannot let go?
* Amendment to the Constitution Protecting Marriage:
* Has the initiative been written to protect marriage or has it been written to deny civil rights to a minority population?
* Have we torn down the walls of our prejudice to ask the hard questions?
* In our violent world, we look for signs of hope that God’s word is active and fertile.
* Allowing God’s word to grow is us, means that we let our prejudices fall so that we can discern God’s life in our lives and in our world.

* As we continue with our Liturgy today:
* Let us pray for us all,
* That we can hear God’s Word and make it alive in our lives and in our world
* That our political leaders give meaning to their words that redounds to the good of us all
* That God’s Word may be alive in us and fruitful - and yield a hundred or sixty or even thirtyfold
* Amen

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