Jesus is the one who sows the word of the Kingdom. And he wants his followers to be eager and high-spirited sowers that he is.

The wise and the learned say Jesus blasphemes, breaks the law and is possessed by the devil (Mk 2, 7. 24; 3, 22). But  the simple folks welcome him. They are eager to hear him; they hang on his every word. For he amazes them, since he teaches with authority (Mk 1, 22).

And “authority” comes from the Latin auctoritas, whose root is augere, which means to increase. And so, Jesus starts, initiates and gives growth.

He is at once the Sower and the Seed. And the Preacher, and he also heeds God and grasps what he says, bears much fruit. Besides, the word of the Kingdom does not go back to God void. Instead, it does his will and carries out the end that he has in mind. Yes, both the Kingdom and the one who preaches its Good News shall bring forth what God has in mind. And that is why the Sower does not sow stingily but freely. And he is not one of those who sow in tears and sing only when they reap (Ps 126, 5).

No, the Sower is not one of them, since he sings, yes, long before he reaps. And where the seed falls does not matter to him. It is as though he lets us know that we cannot dismiss just like that the pathway or the rocky and thorny ground.

Those who sow with Jesus are eager to see and bring forth great harvest. They share in the hard work of the Good News.

The closer to Jesus are his workers, the more his hope and trust in God rub off on them. It is right, then, that Pope Francis tells us (EG 266):

A true missionary, who never ceases to be a disciple, knows that Jesus walks with him, speaks to him, breathes with him, works with him. He senses Jesus alive with him in the midst of the missionary enterprise. Unless we see him present at the heart of our missionary commitment, our enthusiasm soon wanes and we are no longer sure of what it is that we are handing on; we lack vigor and passion. A person who is not convinced, enthusiastic, certain and in love, will convince nobody.

To show that we are eager disciples, we have to be one with the Sower and the word of the Kingdom. Such communion will preempt laziness and indiscreet zeal (CRCM XII:11). And it keeps us from spoiling everything as we rely too much on our own work (SV.EN XI:310-311). Our work ethic will, then, be like that of St. Vincent (SV.EN XI:123, 190-191; SV.EN XII:81).

And is it not true that those who have a why to live for can bear almost any how?

Lord Jesus, we eat your body and drink your blood. May this food and drink make us strong and eager sowers of your Good News.

12 July 2020
15th Sunday in O.T. (A)
Is 55, 10-11; Rom 8, 18-23; Mt 13, 1-23