24 July 2026, Friday of the 16th Week, even-numbered year,
Jer 3:14–17; Mt 13:24–30
Homily
In his teaching, Jesus speaks to us about his Father and the Kingdom of Heaven. The parables are not primarily moral teachings, but teachings on ‘Who God is’ . But we are generally so self-centered that we often seek to see in them what they tell us about ourselves and our moral lives, rather than listening to what they tell us about God. Yet this tendency is so ‘human’ that it can be found as far back as the first generation of Christians.
One of Jesus’ most beautiful parables is the one in which he compares his Word to a seed that falls on different kinds of soil but which, despite opposition and persecution, eventually bears fruit a hundredfold, sixtyfold or thirtyfold. All attention is focused on the Word.
But we also have an interpretation of this parable in the New Testament. Indeed, it is the only parable for which an interpretation is given to us, and exegetes are unanimous in considering that this interpretation was added later, as the parable was being passed down within the early Church. We can already see this shift in focus here. The original parable was entirely centered on the power of the Word; the interpretation is centered on the way in which it is received.
Let us be careful to focus our attention on the parable itself and not merely on its interpretation; or, to put it another way, let us be attentive to the Word first and foremost, and not merely to our virtue or lack thereof.
That the Word of God, which is communicated to us so abundantly each day, may bear abundant fruit within us, to the glory of God, let us pray to the Lord...
That the Word of God may penetrate every sector of society through the lived witness of Christians, let us pray to the Lord...
For all those who are called to spread the Word of God through teaching and preaching, let us pray to the Lord...
Armand Veilleux