Deacon Steve's Homily - 15th Sunday Ordinary – cycle A - Listen to Jesus

We are in the middle of summer vacation and for all the students and teachers I would like to have an English lesson. I would like to discuss ‘Paraprosdokians’ with all of you. Paraprosdokians are figures of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is

surprising or unexpected. You need to listen closely to the sentence or phrase to get the full meaning. Winston Churchill, Graucho Marx, & Bill Cosby were real fans of paraprosdokians. Let’s listen to some: 1. Where there's a will, I want to be in it. 2. The last thing I want to do is hurt you ... but it's still on my list. 3. If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong. 4. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad. 5. I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.

6. Evening news is where they begin with 'Good evening' and then proceed to tell you why it isn't. 
7. I used to be indecisive, but now I'm not so sure any more. These are wonderful because they make you pay attention. 

They make you listen closely because the sentence generally ends in a funny or unlikely way. Listening closely to Jesus is something we need to do as well and that is what we hear in today’s Gospel from Matthew. Jesus is teaching the people. He is teaching with parables; his words are often difficult for the average person to understand. The people need to listen closely so they can understand his teachings.  

This parable is about the Sower and the Seed. Let’s listen closely to Jesus’ words: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear.” These are difficult teachings for the people and the apostles to understand.

Even though they may have listened closely, Jesus has to explain it to them.    “The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart. The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. But he has no root and lasts only for a time.  When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away. The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit.  But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”’

We hear Jesus discuss the ‘word’ in this reading. Remember the beginning of John’s Gospel – the prologue? In the beginning was the ‘word’ and the ‘word’ was made flesh.’My friends, Jesus himself is the ‘word’ that John describes. And Jesus is teaching the people how important it is to listen to the ‘word’, to listen to him. He is teaching the people how important it is to allow him, the ‘word’, to transform their hearts and their lives.

How do we listen closely to Jesus?  We have to work at it.  Just like tending a garden is work, tending our souls is work, too. Our souls must be prepared. Most of us here, have been baptized and confirmed in the church. That in itself, is transformative, but we must do more. We have the sacrament of Eucharist to feed our souls; we have the sacrament of Reconciliation to heal our souls. We have sacred scripture which we can read and reflect upon each day. We have the mass where we can encounter Jesus in our priest, in each other, in scripture, and most intimately in the Eucharist. We can practice charity at home, at work, in our communities, and throughout the world. By doing these things, our souls become ‘rich soil’ in which we better understand the ‘word’ and it can bear abundant fruit.  Imagine how different our world would be if everyone was ‘rich soil’ and listened closely to Jesus? If we just listen and live his 2 great commandments. ‘Love God with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your soul. ‘And, Love you neighbor as yourself.’ Living in a world of love for God and neighbor would bear abundant fruit of peace and harmony! I ask you this, ‘who would not want that?’ Last fall, Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation The Joy of the Gospel was released. Throughout the book the pope reminds all of us that as follower of Christ we should be a people of great joy.  We shouldn’t be afraid to share that joy with all those people we encounter each and every day. So with that in mind here’s one more paraprosdokian to ponder:  Some people cause happiness wherever they go; Other people cause happiness whenever they go.  This week, my friends, may we be a people who always cause happiness wherever we go. We do that by listening closely to Jesus and allowing his words to bear abundant fruit in our lives.