[Salvation]

God’s Patience

• Homily of the Day
• September 22nd, 2012
• Food For Thought

Saturday, September 22, 2012 by Food for Thought

FirstReading: 1 Cor 15:35-37, 42-49
Psalm: Ps 56:10c-12, 13-14
Gospel: Lk 8:4-15

The parable of the sower gives us insights on our God, ourselves and what God expects from us. A sower plants, waters, weeds and harvests.  A sower does these again and again. He is always back to start every planting season even after a poor harvest. As a sower is to his plants, God is to us. He is with us all throughout our life’s journey, during good and the difficult times. Even after we sin and hurt Him,He is there patiently waiting to forgive, looking forward and hoping for our positive response to his call.

God calls us to bear fruit — fruit for the nourishment of many. We are called to be active participants in God’s enterprise — to do good, to be there for others, especially the weak and the marginalized, to be concerned, to help, to comfort and to accompany others.

There are times we deteriorate from being good soil, becoming rocky ground instead. We fall down through our weaknesses and sins. We need God’s patience, forgiveness and grace to get up and continue trying.

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

<< Saturday, September 22, 2012 >>

1 Corinthians 15:35-37, 42-49
View Readings

Psalm 56:10-14

Luke 8:4-15

BLACKTOPPING AMERICA

"In the sowing, some fell on the footpath." —Luke 8:5

 

Did you ever notice there has been an attempt to blacktop our country from coast to coast? There are more and more roads and parking lots. Through our parking garages, we even put layers of blacktop or concrete into the air. Where there were formerly farm lands, we now see subdivisions and shopping malls.

The attempt to blacktop this country may be a physical sign of the devil's attempt to spiritually blacktop us. He wants to make us a footpath in which it is impossible for the seed of God's word to take root (see Mk 4:15).

The devil tried to blacktop the Corinthian church. He started by getting several Corinthian Christians to keep company with people who would have a bad effect on their faith (1 Cor 15:33). This bad company corrupted the Corinthians' good morals. As they became more involved in sin, some Corinthians started to lose their faith in the resurrection of the believers. Paul said this would result in a total loss of faith (1 Cor 15:14).

Don't let the devil blacktop you through others' influence, your sins, and general confusion. Be good ground; hear "the word in a spirit of openness, retain it, and bear fruit through perseverance" (Lk 8:15).

 

Prayer: Father, through repentance may I let You break up my hardened heart (see Ps 95:8).

Promise: "So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown in the earth is subject to decay, what rises is incorruptible." —1 Cor 15:42

Praise: When in need of money, Joseph trusted in God to provide, and the money came unexpectedly through a cousin.