💖 HOMILY - JULY 26 💖

First Reading - Jeremiah 3:14-17

Gospel - Matthew 13:18-23

We all belong to different vocations and walks of life, yet we are all called to bear fruit in accordance with our vocation. Today's readings invite us to make our lives fruitful in Christ.

The first reading from the book of Jeremiah presents God's call to His people, urging them to return to Him. God, in His loving mercy, promises to bring them back to Zion and give them shepherds after His own heart. This call is not just for the people of Israel but is extended to us as well. It is a reminder that God calls each of us to Himself, desiring that we respond to His invitation. God's promise is one of restoration and unity, where His people will gather and His presence will dwell among them, emphasizing the importance of turning back to God and aligning ourselves with His will.

In the Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the sower, explaining how different types of soil receive the seed. The seed is the word of God, and the different soils represent the various ways people receive and respond to this word. Some seeds fall on the path, rocky ground, or among thorns, where they fail to produce fruit due to various challenges. However, the seed that falls on good soil produces a bountiful harvest. Jesus emphasizes that those who hear the word and understand it, like the good soil, will bear fruit abundantly. This parable invites us to examine our own hearts and determine whether we are like the good soil, ready to receive and nurture God's word in our lives.

Dear friends, through the call of Jeremiah in the first reading, we are reminded of the invitation of God extended to each one of us. It reminds us of the vocation we have received. The gift of vocation (vocation here is meant in a generic sense, which includes any walk of life that is suitable for our Christian life) that we have received has to be responded to. Jesus, through the Gospel, tells us that we can respond to our calls or vocations by becoming good soil that is able to produce fruit. 'Fruit' depicts the spiritual riches of the followers of Jesus. Hence, every follower of Jesus is to produce fruit by hearing and following the words of Jesus or teachings of Jesus. In fact, every vocation is enriched and guided to be spiritually rich by the teachings of Jesus. Without the reception of the teachings of Jesus, we become like the soil along the road, the rocky ground, or the soil among the thorns—those which fail to produce fruit. Only by being deeply rooted in the teachings of Jesus can we produce spiritual fruit. Therefore, let's allow the Word of God to guide and direct us in our lives or vocation. Let the teachings of Jesus always become our principles in life to remain spiritually rich soil.

May God help us become spiritually good soil to produce fruit.