💖 HOMILY - JULY 26 💖

First Reading - Exodus 16:1-5,9-15

Gospel - Matthew 13:1-9

When we think about basic needs, certainly there comes to our mind food, clothing and shelter. They are the minimum necessity of every person. They are required for our survival and sustenance. The readings of today invite us to transcend our physical needs to our spiritual need. It doesn't mean, we have to forgo them all together, rather let they be our means to eschew greater things of spiritual value for our eternal life.

The first reading presents a beautiful scene of God providing mana and meat from quail for the wandering Israelites in the wilderness. One can simply imagine the difficulties of food and water in the desert. People, realizing the scarcity of food, complain against Moses. God knows their complain and instructs Moses about the food He would be providing. God knows His people that they need to be educated into the value of greater needs, thus He provides for them first with the physical food. This was firstly to strengthen their faith in Him. Secondly, to make them rely on Him alone for their needs. 

The gospel presents to us a parable of the sower. Jesus tells this parable and explains it also later. However, we should take into consideration three things; firstly, this parable is said to a crowd that gathered around him - this crowd represents potential disciples who want to accept Jesus. Secondly, Jesus draws their attention with the word 'listen' or 'behold' which means the words which Jesus is going to speak is of importance. Thirdly, the parable concludes with a positive note that it is the good soil that produces crops, some a hundred-fold, some sixty and some thirty, thus the disciples should be like the good soil which receive the seed or the teachings of Jesus. Jesus contrasts the edge of the path, patches of rock and thorns with good soil. All the other soils fail to produce crops because they were not appropriate for the seeds but good soil, hence, his disciples should be receptive and make themselves fitting for his word and God's kingdom.

Dear friends, in the first reading we heard how God provides for His people with physical food and in the gospel Jesus invites people to make themselves ready for the spiritual food that is the Word of God. On the one hand, physical food nourishes the food, on the other hand, the spiritual food nourishes the soul. As a conclusion we can say our efforts should be to transcend from physical needs to spiritual needs that can provide us nourishment for our souls and life after. Our constant efforts for our daily physical needs are required but that should not become our only priority but should become our means. If we strike a balance between physical needs and spiritual needs, we will certainly become good soil that can produce some a hundred-fold, some sixty and some thirty.

May God help us in our journey to give priorities to our physical and spiritual needs equally.